Rabat – Palestinian-led movement Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) celebrated Puma’s announcement of its decision to stop sponsoring the Israeli national football team next year.
A spokesperson for the global sports brand said on Tuesday that the company will end its sponsorship deal with the Israeli football team, but claimed that the brand’s decision was planned last year and was unrelated to the backlash global companies have faced for maintaining ties with Israel amid the country’s disastrous war on Palestinians.
In a statement emailed to Reuters, the Puma spokesperson suggested that the company’s contracts with federations in Serbia and Israel were due to expire in 2024 and that they would not be renewed.
This justification is designed to make the case that Puma’s decision to stop sponsoring the Israeli national team has nothing to do with the boycott campaign targeting the company due to its links to Israel.
Still, many – including BDS– celebrated the company’s decision – suggesting that Puma’s announcement was most likely influenced by the pressure and impacts of the boycott the company has faced over the past weeks.
“Amazing news! BDS is unstoppable!” the movement wrote today.
Read also: Zara Faces More Backlash for Half-Hearted Apology After Belittling Gaza Tragedy
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel challenges also celebrated the news, stressing that the BDS campaign has forced the company to “abandon its sponsorship” of the Israeli football association.
Many netizens shared the post, celebrating Puma’s decision.
“Massive #BDS win we should celebrate, to the extent that’s possible amidst this carnage #Puma #Gaza,” one netizen commented.
Puma is part of a long list of companies that have faced widespread boycott campaigns in recent weeks for their links to Israel.
Other companies that have faced such boycott campaigns include McDonalds, Starbucks, KFC, and Zara.
According to converging reports, the BDS boycotts significantly affect companies.
Last week, reports said that Starbucks lost $11 billion in value due to poor sales, strikes, and boycotts.
