The Adidas Performance Store at the Westfield San Francisco Centre, San Francisco. Photo: BrokenSphere via Wikimedia Commons
The German sportswear company Adidas apologized over the weekend for featuring in a campaign a former soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who lost his left leg while protecting Israel near the Gaza border, after pro-Palestinian activists called for a boycott of the brand.
Shalev Biton partnered with Adidas to promote the brand’s in-store “single shoe” service campaign, which allows shoppers with leg limb differences to buy only one running shoe, instead of paying for a pair, at 50 percent off the full-pair price. Biton lost his left leg in May 2021 in Israel while serving in the IDF’s Nahal Brigade during Operation Guardian of the Walls. He was injured when an anti-tank missile fired from Gaza hit his military vehicle located on the Israeli side of the border, and now wears a prosthetic limb. Fellow IDF soldier Staff Sgt. Omer Tabib was killed in the attack.
Other disabled athletes joined Biton in posters for the “single shoe” service campaign, which Adidas launched in January across 23 European countries.
“We recognize that an image used in a recent local activation by the local team has raised concerns and strong reactions. It was never our intent to cause offense, and we apologize for anyone affected,” Adidas said in a statement from its global headquarters, as cited by The Times of Israel. The German sports brand said it will “continue to listen, learn, and work to ensure that our actions reflect the inclusive values we stand for.”
Adidas added that its “single shoe” service continues to expand “across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, including the UAE, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Egypt.”
Pro-Palestinian activists on social media called for a boycott of Adidas over the weekend simply because of Biton’s inclusion in the campaign.
On Sunday and Monday, Spanish actor Javier Bardem uploaded several posts on his Instagram story that urged his fans to boycott Adidas, criticized the company, and insulted Biton. The “F1” actor shared posts that encouraged people to throw away their Adidas shoes, compared child amputees in Gaza to Biton, and falsely claimed that the former IDF soldier lost his leg “during Israel’s genocide in Gaza.” Some of the posts uploaded by Bardem also featured messages that described Biton as a “genocidal demon” and “war criminal” who participated “in one of the onslaughts in Gaza.” One video on his Instagram Story accused Adidas of “disability-washing war criminals.”
A screenshot of Javier Bardem’s Instagram story condemning Shalev Biton’s feature in an Adidas campaign. Photo: Screenshot
In response, Biton wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday that he has “been hit by an absolutely insane wave of hatred and reports from all over the world.”
“Some of the biggest pro-Palestinian pages in the world, with millions of followers and millions of likes and shares, have been posting about me again and again, and the abuse and reports just don’t stop,” he said. Biton asked for support to help drown out the hatred he has been experiencing, telling his followers, “I need you with me.”
After social media users began to rally around Biton and express support for the IDF veteran, he thanked them in several messages on his Instagram Story. “They thought they could silence me. Instead, you make me stronger. The messages. The comments. The shares. The love I’m receiving from all over the world. That is the power of unity,” he wrote.
“This story is much bigger than me. It’s about Israel. It’s about our soldiers. It’s about families, friends, and an entire country living through a reality that is so often reduced to headlines, clips, and narratives from thousands of miles away,” he added. “What stared as one story is now reaching millions around the world. And if you believe this message deserves to be heard, don’t stop here. Share it. Repost it. Send it to someone who needs to see it. Help me make sure this story reaches farther than the hate ever could. Thank you for standing with me. We’re just getting started.”
