367 Palestinian sports clubs in the illegally occupied Palestinian territory write to Reebok urging the company to end its sponsorship contract with the complicit Israel Football Association (IFA) or face a global boycott.
Dear CEO Todd Krinsky and Reebok Board of Directors,
We write as 367 Palestinian sports clubs and associations based in the illegally occupied Palestinian territory to urge Reebok to withdraw from its sponsorship contract with the Israel Football Association (IFA) over Israel’s atrocity crimes and gross human rights violations against Palestinians and the IFA’s direct complicity in them.
Our sisters and brothers in Gaza have faced more than two years of the unspeakable horrors of Israel’s ongoing genocide. As you would know, the United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry and the International Association of Genocide Scholars have concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Also, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in January 2024 that Israel is plausibly committing genocide in Gaza. The ICJ further ruled in July 2024 that Israel’s ongoing military occupation of Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, is illegal, constitutes apartheid, and must be brought to an end.
Israel has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, eradicating more than 2,000 entire Palestinian families. At least 92% of Palestinian homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. These numbers are likely severely underestimated. Israel is also literally starving the Palestinian survivors in Gaza to death. On August 22, the authoritative and UN-backed food security organization, IPC, confirmed that an “entirely man-made” famine was taking place in Gaza due to Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon.
Our thoughts can’t help but turn to the 807 Palestinian athletes and sportspeople that Israel’s illegal occupation forces have killed in Gaza, including by shooting and killing them as they tried to access desperately needed food. Israel has deliberately and systematically obliterated Palestinian sports facilities in Gaza, including stadiums, gyms and club facilities, after using some of those facilities as detention and torture camps.
We know that the fragile ceasefire won’t end Israel’s genocide or its decades-long regime of military occupation and apartheid. In fact, Israel has announced a major expansion of its illegal settlement enterprise that would cut the illegally occupied Palestinian West Bank in two, as it continues mass arrests and forced displacement of Palestinians and demolition of Palestinian homes. Rampages by armed Israeli settlers, under the protection of Israel’s military, have injured and killed many Palestinians and burned homes, cars, and businesses.
We know that maintaining business-as-usual relations with Israel and its complicit institutions while it openly commits horrendous crimes against Palestinians has contributed greatly to prolonging the genocide and to Israel’s sense of total impunity. Under the Genocide Convention, all complicity with Israel’s genocidal regime and its complicit institutions must be brought to an end.
The IFA counts among those complicit Israeli institutions. The IFA not only includes teams in illegal settlements on stolen Palestinian land in its official leagues, it also advocates, along with the Israeli government, to maintain them and shield them from accountability. The IFA has also dedicated FIFA World Cup qualifier matches to Israeli soldiers committing genocide in Gaza.
Israel’s illegal settlement regime constitutes a war crime under international law and forms an integral part of Israel’s apartheid regime, itself a crime against humanity. Genocide is the crime of all crimes.
These are defined by the UN as atrocity crimes and with them come legal obligations, including for corporations, not to contribute in any way to them.
By maintaining the sponsorship contract with the IFA, Reebok is putting its logo on horrendous crimes and risking not only serious reputational damage, as was the case with the IFA’s previous sponsor, PUMA, but also legal liability, including for its executives and managers, as international law scholars affirm.
Italian sportswear brand Erreà was due to replace PUMA, having signed a contract with the IFA in August 2024. Facing growing boycott calls, Erreà withdrew from the contract almost immediately.
US running shoe brand Saucony just recently withdrew as sponsor of Israel’s so-called Jerusalem marathon over its route through Israeli occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem and the fact that it featured as race “ambassadors” Israeli soldiers who have served in Israel’s Gaza genocide.
We were at first heartened to learn that Reebok had called for its logo to be removed from the IFA in late September, as widely reported in the Israeli mainstream media, only to read that your company was reportedly bullied into immediately backtracking on that decision and continues to “proudly” sponsor the IFA despite its well-documented complicity in Israel’s crimes against us. It’s not too late to (again) do the right thing.
We demand that Reebok immediately and publicly withdraw from its contract with the IFA in order to avoid being complicit in Israel’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against our people.
As long as Reebok continues to maintain this criminal and unethical sponsorship, we will urge people of conscience and fellow sports teams and athletes to boycott Reebok, and consider possible litigation against it and its managers.
Signed:
- ‘Aqqaba Sport Club
- Abna' Al-Quds Sports Club
- Abna' Haret Al-Nasara Sports Association
- Aboud Sport Club
- Abu Falah Sports Club
- Abu Nujaym Sports Club
- Abu Shukhaydam Sports Club
- Abwein Sports Club
- ad-Dhahiriya Youth Sports Club
- Ahli Al-Quds Sports Club
- Ahli Al-Ram Sports Club
- Ahli Atara Sports Club
- Ahli Dura Sports Club
- Ahli Hebron Sports Club
- Ahli-Balata Sport Club
- Aida Youth Center
- Ajja Sport Club
- Al Am'ari Refugee Camp Youth Social Center
- Al Awda Youth Center
- Al Bireh Youth Foundation
- Al Doha Sports Club
- Al -Fawar Youth Center
- Al Hadab Youth Sports Club
- Al Ittihad Sports Club
- Al Jalazone Youth Center
- Al Janiya Sports Club
- Al Karama Sports Club
- Al Madina Club- Nablus
- Al Madina Sports Club
- Al Majd Sports Club for People with Disabilities
- Al Malha Youth Sports Club
- Al Mughayyir Sports Club
- Al Rowad Sports Club
- Al Sharafa and Sateh Marhaba Sport Club
- Al Shuyukh Youth Club
- Al Ta'amra Youth Sports Club
- Al Wad Al Akhdar Sports Club
- Al Wehda Sports Club
- Al-Aghwar Al-wusta sports club - Nablus
- Al-Ahli Qalqilya Club
- Al-Ansar Al-Maqdisi Sports Club
- Alar Culture and Sport Club
- Al-Arabi Beit Safafa Sports Association
- Al-Arqa Youth Sport Club
- Al-Arroub Youth Center
- Al-Auja Youth Sports Club - Jericho
- Al-Awda Club for Persons with Disabilities
- Al-Burj Youth Club
- Al-Dyouk Youth Sports Club - Jericho
- Al-Ersal Sport Club
- Al-Fara’a Youth Center
- Al-Fondoqawmiya Sport Club
- Al-Issawiya Sports Club
- Al-Istiklal Sports Club
- Al-Jalama Youth Club
- Al-Jib Sports Association
- Al-Jiftlik National Sports Club - Jericho
- Al-Karmel Yatta
- Al-khader Sport Club
- Al-Lubban Al-Gharbi Youth Sports Club
- Al-Maniya Youth Sports Center
- Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya Sports Club
- Al-Musatqbal Club for People with Physical Disabilities
- Al-Nuwaimah Youth Sports Club - Jericho
- Al-Qubeiba Sports Club
- Al-Quds Sports Association
- Al-Qustol Youth Club
- Al-Rama Youth Sports Club
- Al-Ramadin Youth
- Al-Sawahira Al-Maqdisi Sports Association
- Al-Sawya Club
- Al-Sila Al-Haretheya Sport Club
- Al-Siryani Club
- Al-Ta’awon Club for Persons with Disabilities
- Al-Walaja Youth Sports Club
- Al-Yamoun Youth Sport Club
- Al-Zawya Sport Club
- Al-Zubeidat National Sports Club - Jericho
- An- Nazla Ash- Sharqiya Club
- Anabta Sport Club
- Anin Sport Club
- Anza Sport Club
- Aqaba Jabr Social Youth Center - Jericho
- Aqraba Sport Club
- Arab Al-Jahalin Sports Club
- Arab Institute Sports Club
- Arab Orthodox Cultural Club
- Arab Orthodox Cultural Club - Beit Sahour
- Arraba Sport Club
- Arura Sports Club
- Asira Al-Qibliya Sport Club
- Asira ash-Shamaliya Sport Club
- Askar Youth Center
- As-samu Youth Club
- Aswar Al-Quds Sports Association
- Attil Sport Club
- Azmout Sports Club
- Azzun Sport Club
- Bal’a Sport Club
- Baladna National Sports Club - Jericho
- Balata Youth Center
- Bani Na’im Youth Club
- Barta’a Sport Club
- Battir Sports Club
- Bayt al-Rosh al-Fawqa Sports Club
- Bayt Fajar Youth Sports Club
- Bayt Sahur Women Sports Club
- Bayt Ula Sports Club
- Baytillu Sports Club
- Baytin Sports Club
- Bazarya Sport Club
- Beit Al-Maqdis Club for Arabian Horses and Equestrian Sports
- Beit Amin-Azzoun Atma sports club - Qalqilya
- Beit Anan Sports Association
- Beit Awwa Youth Club
- Beit Dajan Sport Club
- Beit Furik Sport Club
- Beit Hanina Al-Maqdisi Sports Club
- Beit Hanina Sons Sports Club
- Beit Iba Youth Sport Club
- Beit Iksa Sports Club
- Beit Kahil Sport Club
- Beit Lid Sport Club
- Beit Sira Sport Club
- Beit Surik Sports Club
- Beit Ummar Youth Sport Club
- Beit Ur al-Tahta Sports Club
- Beita Sport Club
- Beitunia Sports Club
- Bethlhem Orthodox Club
- Bethlehem Sports Club for the Disabled
- Biddya Sport Club
- Bidu Sports Association
- Bil’in Sport Club
- Birzeit Sports Club
- Brothers Sport Club
- Budrus Sports Club
- Burin Sport Club
- Burqa Sport Club
- Burqa Youth Sports Club
- Burqeen Sport Club
- Capital Sports Club
- Catholic Action Club
- Dayr al-Sudan Sports Club
- Dayr Ibzi' Youth Sports Club
- Dayr Qadis Sports Club
- De La Salle Sport Club
- Deir Abu Da’if Sport Club
- Deir Abu Masha'al Sports Club
- Deir Al- Ghusun Club
- Deir 'Ammar Sport Club
- Deir 'Ammar Youth Center
- Deir Jarir Sport Club
- Deir Nidham Youth Sports Club
- Deir-Ballut Club
- Deir-Sharaf Sport Club
- Dheisha Youth Center
- Duma Sport Club
- Dura Al-Qari’ Sport Club
- Dura Youth Club
- Ebal Sport Club
- Ein Arik Sports Club
- Ein Arik Youth Club
- Ein Sinya Youth Club
- Ein Sultan Youth Social Center - Jericho
- Employees Club- Nablus
- Employees Club Sports Association
- Fahma Sport Club
- Faquoaa Sport Club
- Far’un Sport Club
- Fasayil Youth Sports Club - Jericho
- Good Shephered Youth Cultural Center - Jericho
- Habla Sport Club
- Halhul Sport Club
- Haris Al-Ahly Sports Club - Salfit
- Hebron Youth Club
- Hija Sport Club
- Hilal Al-Quds Sports Club
- Hilal Arana Sport Club
- Hilal Jericho National Sports Club - Jericho
- Hittin Sport Club
- Hizma Al-Maqdisi Sports Club
- Hugo Chavez Sports Club for People with Disabilities
- Husan Sport Club
- Huwara Sport Club
- Ibda'a Sports Club
- Iktaba Sport Club
- Immatain Youth Sport Club
- Irtah Youth Sport Club
- Irtas Youth Sports Club
- Iskaka Sports Club
- Islami Bethlehem Club
- Islami Ein Yabrud Sports Club
- Islami Qalqilya Club
- Islami Ramallah Club
- Islamic Mikhmas Sports Club
- Islamic Silwan Sports Club
- Islamic Sur Baher Sports Club
- Ithna Ittihad Youth Sports Club
- Ittihad Bani Zaid Club
- Ittihad Bayt Liqya Sports Club
- Ittihad Dayr Dibwan Sports Club
- Jaba’ Youth Sport Club
- Jabal Al-Mukabber Sports Club
- Jabal Al-Nar Sport Club
- Jabal Al-Zaytoun Sports Club
- Jalboun Sport Club
- Jamma’in Sport Club
- Jannatah Youth Sports Club
- Jayyous Sport Club
- Jeinsafout Youth Club
- Jenin Sport Club
- Jenin Youth Veterans Charitable Association
- Jenin-Camp Youth Center
- Jericho Youth Sports Club - Jericho
- Jerusalem Clubs Association Sports Association
- Jifna Sports Club
- Jurat ash-Sham'a Youth Sports Club
- Jurish Sport Club
- Kafr Aboush Sports Club
- Kafr Aqab Sports Club
- Kafr Malik Sports Club
- Kafr Ni'ma Youth Club
- kaubar Sports Club
- Khalil Rahman Equestrian Sports Club
- Khallet Al-Mayya Youth Sports Club
- Kharas Youth Sports Club
- Kharbatha Al-Misbah Club
- Kharbatha Bani Hareth Club
- Kifl Hares Sport Club
- Kufr Ad-Dik Club
- Kufr Al-Labad Club
- Kufr –Ein Sport Club
- Kufr- Ra’i Sport Club
- Kufr Zibad Association Club
- Kufr-Jammal Sport Club
- Kufr-Than Sport Club
- Kufr-Thilth Sport Club
- Lajee - Celtic Sports Club
- Madama Sport Club
- Maithalon Sport Club
- Majdal Bani Fadil Club
- Marah Ma'alla Sports Club
- Marah Rabah Youth Sports Club
- Marj Bin Amer Sport Club
- Masafer Yatta Sports Club
- Mas-ha Sports Club
- Mazari' An Nubani Sports Clubs
- Mazra'a al-Qibliya Sports Club
- Menino Boom Sports Academy
- Muslim Youth Association / Al-Ram
- Muslim Youth Association / Dahiat Al-Bareed
- muslim Youth Club
- Nabi Ilyas Youth Club
- Nabi Saleh Sports Club
- Nablus Youth Club
- Nahalin Sports Club
- National Arab Orthodox Sports Club - Bethelehem
- Nazlat 'Isa Social Cultural Sport Club
- Ni’lin Sport Club
- Nuba Youth Sports Club
- Nur Shams Center
- Oref Sport Club
- Orthodox Ramallah Club
- Osarin Sport Clubse
- Palestine Bikers Club
- Palestine Climbing Association
- Palestinian American Sports Club
- Palestinian Women Sports Club
- Palestinian Young Women Club
- Qabatya Sport Club
- Qadura Youth Social Center
- Qaffin Sport Club
- Qalandiya Al-Balad Sports Association
- Qalandiya Youth Social Center
- Qarawat Bani Hassan Club
- Qarawat Bani Zeid Sports Club
- Qaryout Club
- Qatanna Sports Association
- Qibya Sports Club
- Qira Sports Club
- Qudsna Association for Sports Federations
- Qusen Sport Club
- Qusra Club Association
- Raba Sports Club
- Rabud Sport Club
- Rafat Sports Club
- Ramallah Youth sports Club
- Ramin Sport Club
- Ramun Sports Club
- Rantis Sports Club
- Ras Karkar Sports Club
- Rumana Sport Club
- Sa’ir Youth Club
- Saffa Sports Club
- Salah Al-Din Sport Club
- Salesian Youth Center
- Salfit Sport Club
- Salim Sport Club
- Samaritan Community Club
- Sanniriya sport Club
- Sareyyet Ramallah
- Sarra Youth Club
- Sarta Sport Club
- Seda Youth Sport Club
- Shabab Abu Dis Sports Association
- Shabab Al-Eizariya Sports Club
- Shabab Al-Ram Sports Club
- Shabab Al-Thawri Sports Club
- Shabab Al-Za'im Sports Association
- Shabab Anata Sports Club
- Shabab Beir Nabala Sports Club
- Shabab Jaba' Sports Club
- Shabab Sharafat Sports Club
- Shabtin Youth Sports Club
- Sheikh Saad Sports Club
- Shu’afat Refugee Camp Youth Social Center
- Shu’afat Sports Club
- Shufa Youth Sports Club
- Shuqba Sport Club
- Shwayka Club
- Silat Ad-Dahr Sport Club
- Silwad Sports Club
- Silwad Youth Center
- Silwan Sports Club
- Sinjel Sports Club
- Sons of Talouza Sports Club
- Sur Baher Sports Club
- Surif Youth Club
- Susya Sport Club
- Ta’ank Sport Club
- Taffouh Sport Club
- Talfit Sport Club
- Tammun Sport Club
- Taraji Wadi Al-Nes sports Club
- Tariq ibn Ziyad Sports Club
- Tarqumiyah Youth Club
- Tayasir Sport Club
- Taybeh Orthodox Sports Club
- Tayibe Sports Club
- Terra Sancta Beit Hanina Parish Sports Club
- Thaqafi Al Bireh Sports Club
- The Capital of Birth Sport Club
- Thinnaba Sport Club
- Til Sport Club
- Tubas Club
- Tulkarm Cultural Sport Club
- Tulkarm Youth Center
- Tuqu' Youth Sports Club
- Tura Sport Club
- Turmus Aya Sports Club
- Ubeidiya Youth Sports Club
- Umm Dar Sports Club
- Umm Safa Sports Club
- Umm Tuba Sports Club
- Wadi Rahhal Youth Sports Club
- Ya'bad Young Woman Club
- Yabad Youth Club
- Yabrud Sports Club
- Yasid Sport Club
- Yasoof Sport Club
- Yatma Sports Club
- Yatta Youth Sport Club
- Youth Center No.1
- Zaboba Sport Club
- Za'tara Youth Sports Club
- Zeita Sport Club