Adidas AG - Political Domain Audit

Target Company: Adidas AG Audit Phase: Political Research Date: June 28, 2026

Corporate Communications & Public Stance

Adidas AG has maintained a repeatedly stated posture of political neutrality with respect to the Israel-Palestine conflict across the period under review ¹. In its formal public response to human rights concerns raised in March 2018 regarding its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA), Adidas stated: “Fundamentally, adidas acts in a politically neutral way. We equip teams with sportswear … to promote sports and to be associated with sports … as a general rule we do not influence any political processes or event details, we focus on the athletes” ¹.

Following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza, no Adidas AG public statement was identified condemning the violence, calling for a ceasefire, expressing solidarity with civilian victims on either side, or announcing any business policy change related to the conflict ²³. No suspension of Israeli commercial partnerships, store closures, humanitarian donations, or other corporate action analogous to Adidas’s documented response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine were identified ⁴².

Comparative public record across conflicts. In March 2022, then-CEO Kasper Rorsted issued an explicit public statement regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people … We strongly condemn any form of violence and stand in solidarity with all those calling for peace” ⁴⁵. Adidas simultaneously suspended its partnership with the Russian Football Union, closed all Russia stores and halted Russian e-commerce, and donated USD $1 million to Ukrainian refugee relief ⁴. In 2020, Adidas publicly stated “Black Lives Matter” and pledged USD $120 million to Black communities in the United States ⁶. Al Jazeera’s October 13, 2023 report specifically identified Adidas as one of the corporations that responded publicly to the Ukraine invasion but had issued no comparable statement on the Israel-Hamas conflict ². Analysts cited in the same report described absent corporate responses to the Gaza conflict as reflecting commercial calculation ².

CEO Bjørn Gulden was reported in a media interview to have stated that Adidas employs both Palestinian and Israeli workers at its Herzogenaurach headquarters and characterised the difficulty of working in a context of active conflict between staff ⁷. No formal corporate statement on the Gaza conflict was attributed to Gulden in the record reviewed ²³. Adidas’s 2024 Annual Report references “geopolitical conflicts” in general terms only; neither Israel, Palestine, nor the Gaza conflict is identified by name in the risk disclosures ⁸.

Operations in Occupied or Contested Territories

Adidas Israel Ltd - wholly-owned subsidiary. Adidas Israel Ltd (registered address: Holon, Israel) is a 100%-owned subsidiary of Adidas AG, held via Adidas International B.V. (Amsterdam) ⁸. On January 31, 2024, Adidas AG completed the acquisition of the remaining 15% non-controlling interest in Adidas Israel Ltd, converting it into a wholly-owned entity ⁹⁸. This acquisition occurred during the period of active Israeli military operations in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attacks and predates the ICJ Advisory Opinion of July 19, 2024 ⁹. The 2024 Annual Report lists Adidas Israel Ltd in the shareholdings table without geopolitical contextualisation ⁸.

IFA kit sponsorship (discontinued July 2018). Adidas held a commercial kit and outfitting sponsorship with the Israel Football Association (IFA) for a period covering at minimum 2011–2018, during which the IFA league membership included six football clubs with official home grounds in illegal West Bank settlements ¹¹⁰¹¹. In March 2018, a coalition of more than 130 Palestinian football clubs formally demanded termination of the sponsorship, with over 16,000 petition signatures delivered to Adidas’s Amsterdam satellite headquarters ¹. Adidas did not renew the IFA agreement, and the sponsorship lapsed by July 31, 2018 ¹². On August 3, 2018, Adidas stated publicly that the BDS movement was not the reason for the non-renewal ¹³. Palestinian civil society organisations formally welcomed the end of the partnership ¹⁴.

Jerusalem Marathon sponsorship (discontinued). Adidas sponsored the Jerusalem Marathon, which, per BDS Movement documentation, routed through the illegal settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev and included a race for Israeli soldiers offered without registration fees ¹¹. The BDS Movement launched a campaign against this sponsorship in February 2011; Arab states and the Egyptian Football Association announced boycotts of Adidas in connection with it ¹⁰¹¹. Adidas subsequently ceased its Jerusalem Marathon sponsorship ¹¹.

Tel Aviv Marathon sponsorship (ongoing as of 2025). Adidas co-sponsored the Tel Aviv Marathon from at least 2011 ¹⁰. As of February 28, 2025, Adidas was the named commercial partner for the 16th edition of the Leumi Bank Tel Aviv Marathon, launching a limited-edition Adizero Boston shoe for the event priced at 699 ILS and marketed through the official adidas.co.il platform ¹⁵¹⁶.

Delta Galil Industries Ltd - active global underwear licensee. On June 18, 2021, Adidas and Delta Galil Industries Ltd. (Tel Aviv Stock Exchange: DELG; headquarters: Caesarea, Israel) signed a global licensing agreement under which Delta Galil designs, manufactures, and distributes men’s and women’s underwear collections bearing the Adidas “Badge of Sport” and “Originals” labels, with a launch date of Spring 2022 ¹⁷¹⁸. The agreement covers EMEA, APAC, and Latin American markets, plus North America for women’s products ¹⁷. This licensing relationship remained active as of the research date and is cited in active civil society boycott campaigns ³.

Delta Galil is confirmed as entry number 98 in the OHCHR’s February 2020 database of 112 business enterprises involved in Israeli settlement activities, published pursuant to UN Human Rights Council Resolution 31/36 ¹⁹²⁰. Who Profits (last updated October 22, 2024) documents Delta Galil’s settlement-linked operations as including retail branches in Pisgat Ze’ev and Ramot (occupied East Jerusalem) and Ma’ale Adumim (West Bank), and a warehouse in the Barkan Industrial Zone (Barkan settlement, West Bank), with documentation running since May 2011 ²¹. Delta Galil retained its OHCHR database listing following the June 2023 update, which removed 15 other companies but not Delta Galil ²². The September 2025 OHCHR database update (document A/HRC/60/19) lists 158 companies in total ²³²⁴. Adidas AG itself does not appear in any version of the OHCHR settlement database - 2020, 2023, or 2025 ^19232425.

Civil society campaigns and BDS history. Civil society organisations launched formal campaigns against Adidas’s IFA and marathon sponsorships beginning in 2011 ¹⁰¹¹. In June 2018, the Palestinian Campaign for Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) issued a formal rejoinder to Adidas’s neutrality framing, warning of the risk of OHCHR database inclusion ²⁶. On July 26, 2024, the BDS Movement published a statement supporting an organic consumer boycott of Adidas triggered by the company’s removal of Bella Hadid from a campaign ²⁷. In May 2025, the Canadian BDS Coalition published a dedicated “Boycott Adidas” campaign page citing the Delta Galil licensing relationship, the Tel Aviv Marathon sponsorship, and the Bella Hadid campaign removal as the bases for the call ³.

Internal Governance, Content & Retail Policies

Employee relations. No public reports, legal filings, or news accounts of Adidas disciplining, terminating, or taking adverse employment action against employees for pro-Palestinian speech, wearing of political symbols, or conflict-related expression were identified across the source classes reviewed this session. No public evidence identified.

Bella Hadid campaign removal (July 2024). On July 19–20, 2024, Adidas launched the SL72 retro sneaker campaign featuring Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid ²⁸²⁹. The Israeli Embassy in Germany published a statement on X (formerly Twitter) characterising Hadid as “a model who has a history of spreading antisemitism and calling for violence against Israelis and Jews” and invoking the 1972 Munich Olympics, at which 11 Israeli athletes were killed ²⁸. Adidas removed Hadid’s images from all campaign social media accounts with immediate effect and issued the following statement: “We are conscious that connections have been made to tragic historical events – though these are completely unintentional – and we apologise for any upset or distress caused. As a result we are revising the remainder of the campaign” ²⁸. The remaining campaign participants - Jules Kounde, A$AP Nast, Melissa Bon, and Sabrina Lan - were not removed from the campaign ²⁹. The BDS Movement subsequently issued a statement in support of an organic consumer boycott of Adidas ²⁷.

2019 social media incident. In July 2019, an Adidas social media campaign linked to Arsenal FC inadvertently generated racist and antisemitic user-generated content through a hashtag mechanism; Adidas issued a public apology ³⁰.

Retail and supply chain. Adidas’s 2024 Annual Report supply chain disclosures do not identify Israel as a sourcing country for manufactured goods; production volume is concentrated in Asia (Vietnam 27%, Indonesia 19%, China 16%), representing approximately 92% of total output ⁸. Adidas Israel Ltd’s legal registered address is in Holon, Israel, which is not within occupied territory ⁸. Claims in secondary and aggregator sources that Delta Galil operates Adidas-branded retail specifically within settlement shopping malls (including Adumim Mall, Ma’ale Adumim) were not confirmed from a primary source such as Delta Galil’s annual report or a physical store directory; the AFSC Investigate database confirms Delta Galil’s settlement branch locations but does not specify Adidas branding within those locations ²¹²⁰.

Brand Heritage & State Partnerships

Brand heritage. Adidas AG is headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and its primary commercial identity is centred on athletic performance and sport ⁸. No public evidence identified that Adidas utilises military heritage, defence-sector ties, or state-security origins in its commercial branding or product positioning. The SL72 retro sneaker’s design origin in the 1972 Munich Olympics became the basis of the controversy addressed in the 2024 Bella Hadid campaign removal, wherein Adidas acknowledged the association with tragic historical events ²⁸²⁹.

Peres Center for Peace and Innovation - Adidas Foundation grant (ongoing). The Adidas Foundation confirmed a grant of €700,000 for the period March 2025 to November 2028 to the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, an Israeli non-profit founded in 1996 by former Israeli President and Nobel Peace Laureate Shimon Peres ³¹. The grant funds a football-based coexistence programme employing a “training the trainers” model for Jewish and Arab coaches in anti-discrimination, with joint football peace-education activities for children across Israel and, where feasible, into the West Bank ³¹. The grant is delivered under the Adidas Foundation’s “United by Sport” programme umbrella ³². This grant was confirmed as active following both the ICJ Advisory Opinion of July 19, 2024 and the November 2024 ICC arrest warrants, with no publicly documented modification in response to either instrument ³¹.

IFA sponsorship (historical, discontinued 2018). Adidas was the IFA’s kit supplier for a period ending July 31, 2018, during which the IFA league included clubs with facilities in illegal West Bank settlements ¹²¹. This commercial relationship has been discontinued and is detailed fully in the Operations in Occupied or Contested Territories section above.

Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP). The Adidas Foundation’s “United by Sport” grant call was listed by ALLMEP, a coalition of Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian coexistence organisations, as relevant to their membership network ³². No Adidas AG acceptance of state honours from the State of Israel, or formal hosting of Israeli government officials in a non-commercial capacity, was identified in any record reviewed this session. No public evidence identified.

Lobbying, Advocacy, Financing & Logistics

Political lobbying. No Adidas AG PAC donations to pro-Israel candidates, AIPAC, or Israel-related legislation were identified across the source classes reviewed ²³. No evidence of Adidas lobbying for or against the German Bundestag’s May 2019 anti-BDS resolution, or of Adidas issuing any public statement on that resolution, was found. No entries for Adidas AG related to Israel/Palestine policy were identified in the UK Register of Consultant Lobbyists or EU Transparency Register. No public evidence identified.

ADL partnership (2022–ongoing). On November 10, 2022, Adidas announced a four-year partnership with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), characterised by both parties as a “seven-figure” commitment exceeding USD $1 million, at the ADL’s “Never is Now” conference in New York; the agreement was signed by Adidas North America President Rupert Campbell ³³. Partnership activities include developing an anti-bigotry curriculum for student athletes and enabling the ADL to more widely disseminate its educational programming ³³. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt had previously criticised Adidas publicly for its delayed response to Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks prior to the partnership announcement ³³. The ADL has been characterised by civil-society critics as a pro-Israel advocacy organisation that actively opposes BDS activity; this characterisation is not Adidas’s own stated position ³⁴.

Yeezy proceeds - charitable disbursements (2023–2024). In May 2023, Adidas announced the donation of Yeezy shoe sale proceeds to the ADL and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change ³⁵. By March 2024, Adidas reported that of approximately €300 million in profit from the sale of Yeezy inventory - accumulated following the October 2022 termination of the Yeezy/Kanye West partnership - more than €140 million (approximately USD $150 million) had been donated or committed to organisations fighting antisemitism and other forms of hate, with the ADL named as a recipient ³⁶³⁴.

Peres Center for Peace and Innovation grant. The Adidas Foundation committed €700,000 to the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation for the period March 2025 to November 2028, as confirmed by the Foundation’s project page ³¹. Full detail appears in the Brand Heritage & State Partnerships section above.

Slow Factory Foundation. As of May 2021, Adidas was documented as a “major donor” (specific amount not publicly disclosed) to the Slow Factory Foundation, an organisation that during the May 2021 Gaza hostilities posted social media content characterising Israeli actions as “ethnic cleansing” and employing the phrase “from the river to the sea” ³⁷. Whether Adidas continued, suspended, or terminated this funding relationship after May 2021 is not confirmed in any identified source ³⁷.

Crisis asset mobilisation. No evidence was identified of Adidas directing logistics resources, cloud computing capacity, aircraft, or other physical infrastructure to the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli Ministry of Defense, or state-aligned non-governmental organisations during any period of active conflict. No public evidence identified.

Corporate Structure & Primary Mission

Adidas AG is a publicly listed company incorporated under German law, registered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker: ADS), with American Depositary Receipts traded in the United States under the ticker ADDYY ⁸. The company’s primary commercial mission is the design, development, manufacture, and global marketing of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories ⁸. No state golden shares or preferential state ownership interests in Adidas AG were identified in the 2024 Annual Report or in any other source reviewed this session ⁸.

As of December 31, 2024, institutional investors collectively hold approximately 80% of Adidas AG’s issued shares ⁸. Identified major shareholders include Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (GBL, Belgium) at approximately 7.6%, NNS Holding Sàrl (personal investment vehicle of Nassef Sawiris) at approximately 6%, BlackRock at approximately 5–7%, and the Vanguard Group at approximately 4.2% ⁸³⁸. The geographic distribution of institutional holders is approximately North America 41%, UK/Ireland 18%, Germany 13%, and other continental Europe 23% ⁸. No Israeli state entity or settlement-linked entity was identified as a shareholder in any document reviewed ⁸.

Adidas Israel Ltd (Holon, Israel) is a 100%-owned subsidiary of Adidas AG held via Adidas International B.V. (Amsterdam), as disclosed in the 2024 Annual Report ⁹⁸. As of January 31, 2024, Adidas AG completed the acquisition of the remaining 15% non-controlling interest in Adidas Israel Ltd, making it a wholly-owned entity ⁹. The 2024 Annual Report lists Adidas Israel Ltd in the shareholdings schedule without geopolitical contextualisation ⁸.

Nassef Sawiris - Egyptian billionaire and Executive Chairman of OCI N.V. (nitrogen fertiliser) - holds approximately 6% of Adidas AG via NNS Holding Sàrl and was nominated by Adidas AG in March 2026 as its proposed next Supervisory Board Chairman for election at the May 2026 Annual General Meeting ³⁸. No Israeli-state, settlement-linked, or pro-Israel lobbying affiliations for Sawiris were identified in the public records reviewed this session ³⁸.

Executive & Leadership Footprint

CEO Bjørn Gulden (appointed January 2023). On September 20, 2023, Gulden stated in an investor podcast (“Good Company”) that he did not believe Kanye West was a bad person and did not believe West “meant” his antisemitic remarks ³⁹. Following public condemnation from the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, Gulden apologised via the ADL, reiterating Adidas’s commitment to fighting antisemitism and his personal opposition to the views expressed by West ⁴⁰⁴¹. No statements by Gulden specifically condemning Israeli military operations in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire, or addressing Palestinian civilian casualties were identified across searches conducted this session ²³. No personal donations by Gulden to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), JNF/KKL, Lev Echad, Im Tirtzu, Regavim, or other Israeli military-welfare or settler organisations were identified. No public evidence identified.

Former CEO Kasper Rorsted (departed January 2023). Rorsted issued an explicit public condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022, suspended the Russian Football Union partnership, closed all Adidas stores in Russia, and committed USD $1 million to Ukrainian refugee charities ⁴⁵. No comparable Rorsted statement or equivalent corporate action related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was identified in the available record. No public evidence identified.

Rupert Campbell, Adidas North America President. Campbell signed the ADL partnership at the “Never is Now” conference on November 10, 2022, publicly stating: “There is no place for antisemitism, racism and hatred in sport, within Adidas or within society” ³³. No other Israel-Palestine-specific public statements by Campbell were identified across searches conducted this session. No public evidence identified.

Supervisory Board (composition per May 16, 2024 AGM). The Supervisory Board includes Thomas Rabe (Chairman; CEO of Bertelsmann Management SE and RTL Group S.A.), Ian Gallienne (Deputy Chairman; CEO of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert), Nassef Sawiris, Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Olympic athlete and CEO of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation), Christian Klein (CEO of SAP SE), and Jing Ulrich (Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, JPMorgan Chase), together with employee representatives and independent directors ⁴². No Israeli-state, settlement-linked, or pro-Israel lobbying affiliations were identified in public records reviewed this session for any named Supervisory Board member ⁴²³⁸.

No public evidence identified of any Adidas AG executive or Supervisory Board member holding a board seat at AIPAC, the Conservative Friends of Israel, the US-Israel Science and Technology Foundation, or equivalent organisations, or issuing personal co-belligerency statements in support of Israeli military operations.

The UN Special Rapporteur’s July 2025 report “From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide” (A/HRC/59/23) was reviewed; Adidas AG is not named in the accessible portions of that document ⁴³.

End Notes