Adidas Slammed and Called to Be Boycotted Over Ad Featuring Former Israeli Soldier
Sportswear giant Adidas is getting a ton of backlash and boycott calls after featuring former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton in an ad for their shoe sales service aimed at amputees with disabilities. Biton lost his leg from injuries during the 2021 Israel-Gaza conflict. The ad’s being seen as a slap in the face to Palestinians by the boycott campaign coordinator.
Stephanie Westbrook from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) said the campaign basically normalizes crimes against Palestinians. She pointed out that this soldier served in the military of a country accused of genocide and illegal occupation. Meanwhile, the WHO noted 5,000–6,000 amputations in Gaza up to October 2025 amid a blockade on aid.
Boycott calls are also coming from Spanish actor Javier Bardem, along with writers Susan Abulhawa and Fatima Bhutto. Westbrook stressed that Israel is blocking prosthetics from entering Gaza, which has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. UNICEF reported that 42,000 Palestinians have suffered life-changing injuries since the war started in October 2023, including 11,000 children.
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