Adidas faces boycott after ad features former Israeli soldier amputee

Adidas launched a television advertisement for its in-store single-shoe service for amputees, starring Shalev Biton, a former Israeli army soldier who lost a leg during the 2021 Israel-Gaza fighting. The clip shows Biton trying on a shoe in an Israeli store and then running outdoors, prompting condemnation from the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI). Coordinator Stephanie Westbrook described the campaign as an "affront to Palestinians" and warned it could normalize Israel's actions.

High-profile figures such as actor Javier Bardem, author Susan Abulhawa and writer Fatima Bhutto have called for a boycott of Adidas products. The backlash comes as the World Health Organization estimates 5,000-6,000 amputees in Gaza and UNICEF reports 42,000 Palestinians with life-changing injuries, while Israel's blockade hampers the flow of prosthetics and medical aid.