Puma Bids Farewell to Israel's National Soccer Team in 2024
In a move that's sure to stir some controversy, sportswear giant Puma has decided to cut ties with Israel's national soccer team as their partnership nears its expiration in 2024. This announcement, made in the latter half of 2022, has both supporters and critics buzzing.
The timing of this decision is particularly significant, coming as it does amidst an ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. While the Israeli-Palestinian tensions have long been a source of controversy, the recent escalation has added fuel to the fire for those advocating for a boycott against brands that do business with Israel.
Puma's partnership with Israel isn't the only agreement on the chopping block. The company has also announced that it will be severing ties with Serbia's national team around the same time.
However, Puma is by no means abandoning its international soccer efforts. Instead, the brand has locked down sponsorship deals with two new, as-yet-unannounced teams in 2023 and beyond. According to a company spokesperson, these decisions were made in consideration of the timelines for designing and developing team kits.
Puma's move to distance itself from Israel has been met with both praise and criticism. Supporters argue that the company is making a bold stand against oppressive policies, while detractors see it as a misguided attempt to align with a political cause.
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has been a long-time critic of Puma's relationship with the Israeli Football Association, has celebrated the company's decision. BDS accuses Puma of supporting Israeli colonization and apartheid in the West Bank. The movement points to Puma's contract with an Israeli distributor operating in illegal settlements as evidence of this complicity.
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- Despite the controversy surrounding Israel's actions in Gaza, Puma has chosen to end its partnership with both Israel and Serbia by 2024, citing the timelines for designing and developing team kits as the reason for its decision.
- Puma's move to cut ties with Israel has been met with both support and criticism, with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement hailing the company's decision as a victory in their campaign against Israeli complicity in the West Bank.
- As Puma moves forward, it has also locked down sponsorship deals with two new, unnamed teams, signaling the company's continued commitment to the world of soccer.
