Why Adidas’ IDF Advertisement Is Seen as Cruel and Has Sparked Boycott Calls

Adidas is facing criticism and widespread boycott calls after featuring former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton in an advertisement for its in-store footwear service for amputees. The campaign shows Biton trying on shoes at a store in Israel before wearing them while running outdoors.

A coordinator for the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, or PACBI, called the advertisement “a real insult to Palestinians.” Stephanie Westbrook told Al Jazeera that the issue went beyond Adidas being insensitive or lacking empathy. She said the campaign insulted Palestinians who had lost relatives in Israeli killings, as well as those who had lost limbs in Israeli attacks.

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a real insult to Palestinians

Westbrook also warned that such advertising could “normalize Israel’s crimes against Palestinians and allow them to continue committing those crimes without accountability.” She said the campaign centered on a former Israeli soldier whose identity remained closely tied to his military service and who lost his leg while taking part in one of Israel’s repeated attacks on Gaza.

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This is not merely a matter of Adidas being insensitive or lacking empathy; it is a real insult to Palestinians who have lost loved ones through Israeli killings, as well as those who have lost limbs through Israeli attacks.

The article says Biton was wounded during a 2021 military operation in which Israel repeatedly attacked the besieged Gaza Strip over 11 days. It cites World Health Organization estimates that 5,000 to 6,000 people in Gaza had undergone amputations by early October 2025, when Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire agreement. They were among 42,000 Palestinians who suffered life-changing injuries during the two-year conflict.

The humanitarian situation remained severe almost a year after the ceasefire, the article says, citing an Israeli blockade that obstructed humanitarian aid. While the advertisement shows a former soldier returning to sport and running on the streets, more than 1,000 Palestinian athletes had been killed during the war, and hundreds of aspiring football players had lost their lives.

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normalize Israel’s crimes against Palestinians and allow them to continue committing those crimes without accountability