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🇹🇷 Turkey /Conflict & Security

Adidas Arabia apologizes over ad featuring former Israeli soldier

From Daily Sabah · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Adidas Arabia apologized after featuring former Israeli soldier and amputee athlete Shalev Biton in a campaign promoting its Single Shoe service.
  • Pro-Palestinian activists criticized the campaign, citing the large number of Palestinians who have lost limbs during the war in Gaza.
  • The World Health Organization estimates that Gaza has recorded more than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations and over 22,000 major extremity injuries since October 2023.

Adidas Arabia has apologized after an advertising campaign featuring a former Israeli soldier triggered an online backlash and renewed calls for a boycott of the brand.

The regional branch of the German sportswear company featured Shalev Biton, who lost his left leg after being wounded while serving in the Israeli army in 2021. He was one of 11 disabled athletes featured on posters displayed at Adidas stores in Israel. The campaign promoted Adidas’s Single Shoe service.

We recognize that an image used in a recent local campaign has raised concerns and strong reactions.

· Adidas ArabiaThe company acknowledged the backlash over its advertising campaign.

“We recognize that an image used in a recent local campaign has raised concerns and strong reactions,” Adidas Arabia said in a written statement. “It was never our intent in any way to cause offense, and we apologize to everyone affected by this.” The company said it was treating the reactions “with the utmost seriousness.”

It was never our intent in any way to cause offense, and we apologize to everyone affected by this.

· Adidas ArabiaThe company apologized in its written statement.

Pro-Palestinian activists criticized the decision to include a former Israeli soldier in a campaign centered on amputees. They contrasted the promotion with the thousands of Palestinians who have lost limbs during Israel’s war on Gaza.

Estimates published by the World Health Organization in May put Gaza’s total at more than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations and over 22,000 major extremity injuries since October 2023. Up to a quarter of those suffering life-changing injuries were children.

with the utmost seriousness

· Adidas ArabiaThe company described how it was responding to the reactions.
About this summary

Originally published by Daily Sabah in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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