Bella Hadid breaks her silence over controversial Adidas campaign which referenced 1972 Olympics that saw terrorists kill 11 Israelis: ‘I am shocked’

Bella Hadid has broken her silence on the recent controversial Adidas campaign, saying she is “shocked” in a statement posted to her Instagram stories on Monday.

The 27-year-old supermodel, who recently hired lawyers after her Adidas SL72 campaign was pulled, starred in the campaign for the retro sneakers, but quickly drew criticism for the ad’s reference to the 1972 Munich Olympics, where terrorists murdered 11 Israelis.

The pro-Palestinian star wrote a lengthy message to her followers, beginning: “For those of you who don’t know my heart, I want to make sure you hear directly from me about my recent campaign with adidas.”

Hadid stated that she would “never knowingly engage with art or any work that is connected to a horrific tragedy of any kind.”

‘Before the campaign was launched, I was unaware of the historical connection to the horrific events of 1972. I am shocked, angry and disappointed by the lack of sensitivity that has gone into this campaign.’

Bella further explained, “If I had been made aware of this, I, from the bottom of my heart, would never have participated in it.”

“My team should have known, adidas should have known and I should have done more research so I would have known, understood and said something about it.”

The model added that she will “always stand up for what I believe is wrong. While everyone’s intention was to create something positive and bring people together through art, the collective lack of understanding from all parties undermined the process.”

“I do not believe in any form of hatred, including anti-Semitism,” Hadid continued, adding, “That will never change, and I stand by that position.”

The media personality also said: “Connecting the liberation of the Palestinian people to such a tragic attack pains my heart.”

“Palestine is not synonymous with terrorism and this campaign has inadvertently highlighted an event that does not reflect who we are.”

Bella stated that she is a “proud Palestinian woman” and that “our culture has much more to offer than the things that have been compared this past week.”

“I will always stand with my people of Palestine and at the same time continue to advocate for a world without anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has no place in the liberation of the Palestinian people.”

In closing, Hadid wrote, “I will always stand for peace over violence, every single day. Hate has no place here and I will always stand up for not only my people, but for everyone in the world.”

Earlier this month, the supermodel starred in a campaign promoting the relaunch of the 1972 Adidas SL72 sneakers, which were worn by athletes at the Munich Olympics that same year.

However, the shoe company received a lot of criticism after the campaign was launched, with Adidas apologising for the ‘completely unintended’ link to the ‘tragic historical events’.

Earlier this weekend, it was reported that Hadid had hired a legal team after she withdrew her campaign for the Adidas SL72 sneaker. She was removed from the ad after receiving negative feedback, a source familiar with the matter told DailyMail.com.

She has sought legal advice following the controversy, as she believes the brand has failed to take responsibility for its role in the negative reactions.

Bella is still under contract with the company and Adidas has apologized, saying there was never any reference to the tragedy and there are plans to revise the ad.

A source said TMZ Bella is concerned that Adidas would launch a campaign that would link someone to a tragedy like the Munich massacre; a source also told We weekly that ‘violence does not fit with Bella’s beliefs.’

Eleven Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich after gunmen from Black September entered the Olympic Village and took them hostage.

Hadid, born in the US and the daughter of Palestinian real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, has long been an open supporter of Palestinian rights.

On July 19, Adidas announced that it would immediately “review” the remainder of the campaign, without specifying how.

“We recognize that connections have been made to tragic historical events – although these are entirely unintentional – and we apologize for any upset or distress this may have caused,” the company said in a statement.

The explanation continued: ‘As a result, we are reviewing the rest of the campaign. We believe in sport as a unifying force across the world and will continue our efforts to promote diversity and equality in everything we do.’

Photos of the model wearing red, retro Adidas shoes sparked outrage among pro-Israel groups.

On Sunday morning, Adidas Originals’ Instagram account posted a statement via the app’s Stories feature addressing the outcry.

The company apologized to Hadid and several other partners for any “negative impact” they may have experienced.

It started like this: ‘Connections are still being made with the terrible tragedy that took place at the Munich Olympics, because of our recent SL72 campaign.’

The message continued: “These connections are unintentional and we apologize for any upset or distress caused to communities around the world.

“We made an unintentional mistake.”

“We also apologize to our partners Bella Hadid, A$AP Nast, Jules Koundé and others for the negative impact this has had on them. We are reviewing the campaign.”