The controversy centered on Shalev Biton, a former Israeli soldier who lost a leg, appearing in a local campaign promoting Adidas' "Single Shoe" service, a program designed for amputees and others who need only one shoe. Images from the campaign spread widely online, with pro-Palestinian users contrasting Biton's access to specialized prosthetic services with the dire conditions facing thousands of amputees in Gaza.

For Palestinians in the enclave, the campaign has come to embody two starkly different realities.

"How can Adidas bring an Israeli soldier and put him in an advertisement while we, the wounded of the war in Gaza, are suffering so much?" asked Omar Haliwa, 14, who lost his leg in an Israeli strike while on his way to collect water. He said attempts to obtain a suitable prosthetic repeatedly ran into shortages of raw materials at Gaza's prosthetics centers.

Kifah al-Fakhouri, who lost her leg in an Israeli strike on a seaside cafe in Gaza City, said she was shocked by the campaign. "This soldier lost his leg in 2021 and now has a prosthetic limb and resources. We in Gaza have nothing – no treatment, no equipment, no supplies," she told Anadolu.

Ahmed Jawadi al-Balawi, another Palestinian amputee, appealed directly to the company: "Look at us with mercy. They do not need help the way we do. They have resources. We have nothing."

According to Munir al-Barsh, director-general of Gaza's Health Ministry, estimates indicate that more than 8,000 Palestinians have lost limbs during Israel's war on Gaza, including over 3,000 children. He said Gaza has trained specialists capable of producing prosthetics, but restrictions on the entry of raw materials and medical supplies have prevented many patients from receiving suitable care.

Amid the growing backlash and calls to boycott Adidas that spread across social media, Adidas Arabia the company's regional Middle East social media account issued an apology, stating that an image used in a recent local activation had raised "concerns and strong reactions."

"It was never our intent to cause offense and we apologize for anyone affected," the statement said, stressing that the promotion was a local initiative rather than part of a global campaign. Adidas Arabia also said the company would continue to "listen, learn and work" to ensure its actions reflected its stated inclusive values.

For Gaza's amputees, however, the controversy exposed a gulf that went far beyond a single advertisement. One campaign had put an amputee in the spotlight. Thousands of others in Gaza were still waiting for the chance to walk again.

Source: Anadolu