Adidas Ad Featuring Former IDF Soldier Draws Palestinian Call for Boycott: ‘An Apology Is Not Enough’

Adidas’s apology has not satisfied Ahmad Khaled Mahmoud Humidat. The Palestinian dentist is calling for a boycott of the German sportswear giant after its campaign featured former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton promoting a single shoe for people with disabilities.

“Because people like this former Israeli soldier make many people disabled and kill many people, how can an apology be enough while the advertisement is still there?” Humidat told Republika in Jakarta. “Companies like this should be boycotted.”

The advertisement shows Biton trying on the shoe at an Israeli store before wearing it to run outdoors. Biton lost his leg from injuries sustained during the Israel-Gaza conflict in 2021, when Israeli forces bombarded the enclave during an 11-day attack.

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Because people like this former Israeli soldier make many people disabled and kill many people, how can an apology be enough while the advertisement is still there? Companies like this should be boycotted.

Humidat said Biton’s experience could not be compared with the suffering of Palestinians. He referred to World Health Organization estimates that between 5,000 and 6,000 people in Gaza had undergone amputations by early October 2025, when Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement. They were among about 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza who suffered permanent injuries during the two-year conflict.

Humidat, who is studying in Indonesia on scholarships from the Higher Education Directorate and the Indonesian Red Cross, described boycotts as a powerful weapon. He said a boycott of imported brands could also give Indonesia’s footwear industry room to grow because the country has a large population and market. He urged Adidas to withdraw the advertisement and create a campaign for Palestinians who became disabled in attacks by Israeli forces.

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Indonesia has a large population, so it is a large market.