Gaza city: Two Palestinian amputee athletes from the Gaza Strip have condemned the global sports equipment company Adidas for using an Israeli soldier in an advertising campaign. They described Adidas' decision as a 'blatant bias toward the Israeli killers and a whitewashing of the crimes of genocide.'
According to Anadolu Agency, the athletes have opted for a 'comprehensive boycott and abandonment of the company's products' and have called on the Arab and Muslim sporting community, along with free people worldwide, to support their cause by ceasing to purchase Adidas products. The controversy arose when former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton, involved in the 2021 Israeli aggression against Gaza, featured in a local campaign promoting Adidas' Single Shoe service. This service allows those who need only one shoe to purchase it for half the price of a full pair. The inclusion of Biton in the campaign has ignited international, Arab, and Palestinian discontent, especially in light of the suffering of numerous amputees in the Gaza Strip who face a shortage of prosthetic limbs and necessary raw materials.
Ahmed Abu Nar, an amputee football player in Gaza, criticized Adidas for using an Israeli sniper involved in the Gaza conflict to promote its products. Abu Nar, who lost his left leg to direct fire from an Israeli sniper, expressed his disbelief at the decision to feature an Israeli soldier in the advertisement, stating that the company could have chosen many other individuals. He accused Adidas of making a calculated decision to ignore the victims and celebrate the aggressors. Abu Nar also criticized the company's limited apology and its decision to only remove the advertisement from its Middle East pages, ignoring global audiences.
Under mounting pressure and calls for a boycott, Adidas issued an apology through its Arabic-language Instagram account for the contentious campaign. However, the Adidas Arabia account's reach of 1.4 million followers pales in comparison to the 29.6 million followers of its global account, raising questions about the sincerity of the apology. Abu Nar confirmed his decision to boycott Adidas and dispose of all its sports equipment, citing the company's double standards and the ongoing threat of violence in Gaza.
Hassan Abu Karim, a board member of the Palestine Amputee Football Association, denounced what he sees as 'racial discrimination and double standards' by global companies in their approach to the Palestinian issue. Abu Karim, who lost his foot to an Israeli shell in 2006, highlighted the struggles of his association to provide basic necessities for amputee athletes, contrasting it with Adidas' support for a soldier involved in acts against Palestinians. He urged global companies to show solidarity with victims under siege and bombardment and to uphold the rights of people with disabilities.
Abu Karim called for a boycott of Adidas until the company aligns with humanitarian values and justice. The campaign's backlash grew on social media, with supporters of the Palestinian cause sharing images of the advertisement and comparing the Israeli soldier to the thousands of Palestinians who have lost limbs.
According to World Health Organization estimates in May 2026, the Gaza Strip recorded between 5,161 and 6,710 limb amputations since October 2023. Around 43,000 people sustained life-altering injuries, including approximately 10,000 children. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that children account for around 18% of amputation cases, with a lack of specialized rehabilitation services for children in the Strip. The ordeal for amputees extends beyond the loss of limbs, involving numerous surgeries, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and the search for appropriate prosthetic limbs.