In a significant development, sports brand Puma has announced that it will cease its sponsorship of Israel’s national football team in 2024, as confirmed by a company spokesperson. This decision, reportedly planned since last year, is asserted to be unrelated to the recent consumer boycott calls against Israel amidst the ongoing Gaza war.
Puma, a German sportswear giant, has long faced criticism and boycott calls over its association with the Israel Football Association (IFA). The company spokesperson clarified on Tuesday that the decision was part of Puma’s pre-existing plan, with contracts for several federations, including Serbia and Israel, set to expire in 2024 and not slated for renewal.
The company revealed its intention to unveil new partnerships with various national teams as part of its strategic approach known as the “fewer-bigger-better strategy.” An internal Puma memo, seen by the Financial Times, affirmed the impending changes, with a commitment to evaluate existing partnerships and explore upcoming opportunities for a robust roster of national teams.
Puma had initially inked a contract with the IFA in 2018, prompting sustained boycott calls from activists who alleged the IFA’s inclusion of teams based in Jewish-only settlements in the occupied West Bank, deemed illegal under international law.
This move by Puma comes amid a broader trend of global firms grappling with boycott calls from the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement. The memo also emphasized Puma’s commitment to evaluating its partnerships in light of evolving circumstances, reflecting the delicate balance companies face amid geopolitical controversies.
This decision follows other recent instances of international companies facing backlash, such as fashion company Zara retracting an advertising campaign that drew criticism for allegedly mirroring scenes of suffering in Gaza, prompting calls for boycotts from pro-Palestine activists.
