After Balenciaga, now Adidas seems to be the one with their heads chopped off. The world-renowned athletic apparel and footwear giant finds itself at the center of a storm after the release of their latest ad campaign with Bella Hadid as the face. What is she modeling? The SL72. What is it? A ‘celebration’ of the 52nd anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympics through a reimagined, revival of their “iconic classic” shoe silhouette.
What’s the problem? Black September’s Munich massacre.
What happened at the 1972 Olympics?
Whatever happened at the 1972 Olympics is still overshadowed by the Munich massacre. On September 5, 8 members of the Palestinian militant organization Black September entered the Olympic Village and took 11 Israelis hostage. The hostages included athletes, coaches and officials of Israeli origin.
After some resistance 2 of the hostages were killed almost immediately, after which a standoff lasted for about 18 hours. The careful planning of the massacre was evident from the fact that in the latter part of the standoff, the Black September terrorists managed to board a helicopter at the military airport of Furstenfeldbruck with the remaining 9 hostages. The rescue attempt failed after an ambush by German authorities resulted in one of the Black September terrorists detonating a grenade inside the helicopter, in which 4 hostages were shot and reduced to ashes. The remaining 5 hostages also lost their lives in gunfights shortly after.
On the terrorist side, 5 of the 8 Black September terrorists died mid-mission. The remaining 3 were arrested, but were soon released by the West German government in exchange for the hijacked Lufthansa Flight 615. For reference, this flight was being used to transfer the 3 terrorists, but it was also hijacked. This decision was taken keeping in mind the well-being of the remaining passengers and crew on the flight. 2 of the 3 terrorists were eventually tracked down and killed by Israel’s national intelligence agency, Mossad. The only survivor of the original 8 is still alive today, reportedly living in an African country with his wife and 2 children.
The Olympic Games, which had been halted due to the standoff and subsequent events, were eventually resumed with a slight delay, at the behest of then-International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage, because “the games must go on.”
Adidas’ ‘Nazi roots’ aren’t helping
If you aren’t already familiar with this detail, let us tell you that Adidas actually has ‘Nazi roots’. Adidas was founded in August 1949 in post-World War II Germany by Adolf Dassler, a cobbler, inventor and businessman. Dassler was also a member of the Nazi party. While this not-so-subtlety hasn’t stopped Adidas’ steady and undeniable ascent to worldwide dominance, the Nazi connection has added another uncomfortable layer to the issue.
If you’re wondering how exactly this Nazi angle fits into the Israel-Palestine-Bella Hadid controversy, the answer is pretty straightforward. While the horrific legacy of the Germans and Jews is a separate history lesson from the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, both have anti-Semitism as a main theme.
Where did Adidas go wrong?
To further simplify what is going on, Bella, due to her partly Palestinian ancestry, is very vocally advocating for the independence of Palestine. This is directly against the mainstream support coming towards Israel. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion and their own understanding of this complex and painful chapter of history, which is still evolving today given the never-ending violence, Adidas has made a huge mistake. Why? They decided to hold an event commemorating the 1972 Olympics, an edition marked by the helpless massacre of Israelis on German territory – with the face of a world-famous partly Palestinian model and part-time activist – against a red background. It couldn’t possibly get any worse.
Why has Bella Hadid become a polarizing public figure?
To further clarify Bella’s stance, she herself comes from a line of Palestinian refugees who were victims of the Nabkah of 1948, which saw the violent ethnic cleansing of over 750,000 Palestinians at the hands of organized Zionist paramilitary forces.
Bella’s outspoken pro-Palestinian stance has drawn criticism not only from her colleagues but also from those who support Israel. Bella has always been pro-Palestinian and has managed to build a successful career despite it, but with the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict her political stance will naturally impact her professional footprint, for better or for worse.
Adidas has now apologized in an official statement provided to the Washington Times. Spokesperson Stefan Persche said, “We are aware that connections have been made to tragic historical events — although these were entirely unintentional — and we apologize for any upset or discomfort caused. We believe sport is a force for unity around the world, and we will continue our efforts to promote diversity and equality in everything we do.”
Do you think this was a huge oversight on Adidas’ part, or was it deliberate disinformation?
