Puma, the renowned sportswear company, announced on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, that it would end its sponsorship of the Israeli national football team next year.
This decision, initially reported by the Financial Times, was made prior to the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7.
A spokesperson for the German company stated via email, “While we will be announcing new contracts with two national teams – including a new team – our contracts with some national associations like Serbia and Israel will conclude in 2024.”
The decision was part of Puma’s new strategy “Less, Bigger, Better”, and was taken in 2022 as per the usual timelines for designing and developing team jerseys.
The sponsorship deal with Israel, signed in 2018, had faced boycott calls.
Activists accused Puma of supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank, deemed illegal under international law, through its agreement with the Israel Football Association, which also includes teams from the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement had called for a boycott of the sportswear company before the October 7 attack, citing its sponsorship of the Israeli team.
The boycott calls intensified and expanded to include more companies and products following Israel’s military response to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
