Reebok’s logo to stay on Israeli national soccer team uniforms
Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Global athletic wear brand Reebok backed away from its demands on Tuesday that Israel's national soccer team remove the company's logo from its uniforms after the team threatened legal action.The Israeli Football Association confirmed to The Telegraph that Reebok reversed course after trying to terminate its supply deal with the federation amid growing international criticism of Israel's military campaign against terrorist group Hamas. While other economic boycotts against Israel continue, they won't reach the soccer field -- at least for now."After a conversation between IFA president Moshe Zuares, Reebok and the local franchisee, the company reversed its decision to end its contract with Israel national teams, and the teams' uniforms in international matches will feature the company's logo as it has been up to now," the federation said in a statement to The Telegraph.Reebok, which operates in Israel with partner company MGS Group, began supplying new uniforms for the country's national team last summer, reported Ynet News. The new uniforms were designed by former player Tal Shtah and were given a high-profile rollout, the news outlet reported.But the new uniforms' launch collided with calls to boycott Israel over what critics have called its heavy-handed response to the 2023 terrorist attacks. Global humanitarian relief organizations have accused Israeli authorities of causing mass starvation in Gaza. A United Nations panel concluded Israel's actions amounted to genocide against Palestinians, and called for Israeli soccer teams to be kicked out of international organizations.The Israeli Football Association had earlier criticized Reebok's request to remove its angular cross-check logo from its uniforms, saying the company had chosen to "succumb to boycott threats that were completely irrelevant," reported The Times of Israel. The association also hinted that Reebok's action had violated laws prohibiting boycotts.
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