Adidas announced on Friday that it would remove Bella Hadid, a Palestinian-American model, from a controversial advertising campaign promoting the re-release of a pair of iconic sneakers from the 1972 Munich Olympics, marred by an attack on Israeli athletes.

The German sportswear brand, currently focusing on sneaker culture, is reintroducing the SL72 shoe this summer, a retro-style replica worn by athletes during the Munich Games.

During the 1972 competition, the attack, carried out by the Palestinian group "Black September," resulted in the deaths of eleven Israeli athletes and coaches, along with a German policeman.

Adidas chose Bella Hadid, a model of Palestinian descent known for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and condemning Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since Oct. 7, to feature in its promotional campaign. The brand acknowledged unintended associations with tragic historical events and apologized for any discomfort caused, according to a statement provided to AFP. Bella Hadid has been immediately removed from the campaign, a spokesperson for Adidas confirmed.

Israeli officials reacted strongly to the news. "Guess who is the face of the campaign? Bella Hadid, a model of Palestinian origin who has a history of spreading antisemitism and advocating violence against Israelis and Jews," the Israeli Embassy in Berlin criticized on social media. "How can Adidas now claim that any connection to this event was 'completely unintentional'? The 1972 attack remains deeply etched in the memories of Germans and Israelis," Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor remarked in an interview with Welt TV after Adidas issued its apology.

The campaign sparked widespread criticism on platforms such as X: "Adidas is dead to me... I will not support companies associated with antisemites," wrote one user.

Adidas will continue to promote its vintage model with other personalities: Jules Koundé, French footballer; A$AP Nast, American rapper and songwriter; Melissa Bon, Swiss-Ethiopian musician; and Sabrina Lan, a Chinese model and influencer residing in Berlin.

In October 2022, Adidas abruptly ended its lucrative partnership with the controversial rapper formerly known as Ye due to his antisemitic remarks.