German sportswear maker Puma on Tuesday disclosed that it will stop sponsoring Israel’s national football team in 2024.
This was made known in a statement by the spokesperson for the sportswear firm.
She said the move was planned since 2023 and is not related to consumer boycott calls against Israel amid the Gaza war.
The company added that following a strategy review carried out at the end of 2022, Puma would stop outfitting the Israeli team from 2024.
“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,” a spokeswoman said
She added, “These decisions were taken in 2022 in line with the regular timelines for the design (and) development of the team jerseys.”
The deal with Israel, which was signed in 2018, prompted calls to boycott the sportswear brand.
Campaigners accused Puma of endorsing illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank through its deal with the Israeli FA, which includes teams from the occupied Palestinian territory.
The outbreak in October of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, has strengthened longstanding calls to boycott products which support Israel.
The war was triggered when Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240 hostages — 137 of whom remain in Gaza, Israeli officials say.
Responding, Israel vowed to destroy Hamas and began intense bombardments and a ground offensive in Gaza that has killed at least 18,200 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
