GERMAN sportswear firm Puma has confirmed it will end its sponsorship of the Israeli football team, but say the decision came before war erupted between Israel and Hamas.
Last month, pro-Palestinian activists said the main supplier of GAA gear (O’Neills) pulled all Puma-branded products from sale because of the association with the Israeli team.
Since Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in southern Israel on October 7 and took 240 hostages, Israel’s retaliation in Palestine has also been strongly condemned with over 18,700 people killed and 50,000 injured according to Hamas officials.
On Tuesday, a Puma spokesperson said the decision to cut ties with the Israeli team had already been made.
“While two newly signed national teams - including a new statement team - will be announced later this year and in 2024, the contracts of some federations such as Serbia and Israel will expire in 2024,” they told the Financial Times.
This was said to have been agreed in 2022 a part of Puma’s “fewer-bigger-better strategy,” which was in line with the time it took to develop team jerseys.
A campaign from the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to boycott Puma had already been in place before the October Hamas attack, but have intensified as the fighting continues.
