German sportswear giant Puma has announced its decision to end its sponsorship of Israel's national football team, effective 2024. However, the company ruled out the ongoing Israel war in Gaza as the reason for the decision.
According to a company spokesperson, the move, premeditated since last year, is unrelated to the ongoing consumer boycott calls against Israel amid Israeli bombings in Gaza in the recent conflict.
Puma, known for its brand alliance with the Israel Football Association (IFA) since 2018, has been the target of boycott calls over its association with teams based in Jewish-only settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Activists argue that these settlements are illegal under international law. The decision to cease sponsorship comes amid heightened criticism during Israel's two-month offensive in Gaza, resulting in over 18,000 Palestinian casualties.
According to an internal memo obtained by the Financial Times, Puma intends to revamp its sponsorship strategy, letting contracts with several federations, including Serbia and Israel, expire in 2024 without renewal.
The company plans to unveil new deals with other national teams soon as part of its "fewer-bigger-better strategy."
While the memo confirms the impending shake-up, it also underscores Puma's commitment to evaluating existing partnerships and exploring upcoming opportunities to strengthen its roster of national teams.
In the context of the broader corporate landscape, Puma's decision follows a trend of global firms facing boycott calls by the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement. The movement has gained momentum, with companies supporting Israel experiencing increased scrutiny and calls for divestment.
This development comes on the heels of another controversy in the fashion industry, where Zara faced backlash for an advertising campaign that appeared to depict scenes of suffering in Gaza.
In response to the criticism and calls for a boycott from pro-Palestine activists, Zara promptly removed the campaign from its website earlier this week.