Model Bella Hadid recently criticized Adidas for what she termed a "lack of sensitivity" in their decision to feature her in a sneaker campaign inspired by the 1972 Olympics.
This move sparked controversy due to its inadvertent connection to a horrific Palestinian terror attack during the same Olympics, which resulted in the death of 11 Israeli athletes.
As reported by Fox News, the German sportswear giant had chosen Hadid to be the face of their advertising campaign for the SL72 shoes, a design inspired by the 1972 Olympic Games. However, this decision was met with backlash from critics, including the State of Israel, who took issue with the inclusion of Hadid, a known critic of Israel. "The inclusion of a vocal anti-Israel model to recall this dark Olympics is either a massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory," stated the American Jewish Committee.
In response to the uproar, Adidas issued an apology and promptly removed Hadid from the campaign. The model expressed her dismay, stating that she "never would have participated" had she been aware of the historical context. "We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events though these are completely unintentional and we apologize for any upset or distress caused," the company said.
Hadid, in her apology issued on Monday, expressed her shock and disappointment at the lack of sensitivity displayed in the campaign. "Had I been made aware, from the bottom of my heart, I would never have participated," she said.
The 1972 Olympics were marred by a tragic event when Palestinian terrorists from the Black September group took Israeli athletes hostage and brutally murdered all 11 of them within a span of 20 hours. The horrifying details of the torture inflicted on the athletes, including castration and severe beatings resulting in bone fractures, were revealed to the public in 2015. In retaliation, Israel's Prime Minister Golda Meir initiated a covert Mossad operation, "Wrath of God," which sought out and assassinated at least 11 individuals believed to be involved in the planning or execution of the Munich attack.
In her apology, Hadid admitted her ignorance of the historical connection to the 1972 events. "My team should have known, Adidas should have known, and I should have done more research so that I too would have known," she said. She further stated, "Connecting the liberation of the Palestinian people to an attack so tragic Palestine is not synonymous with terrorism and this campaign unintentionally highlighted an event that does not represent who we are."
Adidas, acknowledging their error, stated, "We made an unintentional mistake. We also apologize to our campaign. We are revising the campaign." When contacted for a comment, Hadid's representative directed Fox News Digital to a previous statement.
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