PUMA CUT TIES WITH THE ISRAELI FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION!

Puma has announced it will end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA) after 2024. The decision, part of Puma’s “fewer-bigger-better” strategy, was reportedly made in 2022 to streamline sponsorships and is not directly linked to boycott campaigns. 

According to a spokesperson for the German sportswear company, the decision to end sponsorship agreements with several federations, including Serbia and Israel, was unrelated to boycott campaigns.

 Instead, it was based on the natural expiration of contracts, which the company opted not to renew. 

Puma clarified that this move aligns with its broader strategy to focus on fewer but more significant partnerships.

However, the move is being celebrated by activists in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has long criticized Puma’s association with the IFA due to its inclusion of teams in Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law.

This development comes after years of protests and campaigns by pro-Palestine groups urging Puma to reconsider its sponsorship of the IFA, claiming it legitimized actions in occupied Palestinian territories.

In addition to Puma, other global corporations with ties to Israel have faced mounting boycott campaigns led by the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. 

These efforts aim to apply economic pressure on companies perceived as supporting or being complicit in Israel’s policies toward Palestinians.