PUMA has announced it will end its sponsorship of Israel’s national soccer league (the IFA) in 2024. PUMA’s announcement comes in the midst of Israel’s genocidal violence in Gaza and it follows years of international pressure against PUMA for its sponsorship of the IFA. This includes many actions across Canada over the years, along with thousands of letters.
PUMA’s claim that its decision is unrelated to pro-Palestinian pressure is unsurprising: companies who express concern about violence against Palestinians while cutting or reducing ties with Israel have faced massive backlash from zionist lobbying groups, negative attention PUMA surely seeks to minimize if not avoid in this moment.
The Canadian BDS Coalition welcomes the news that PUMA will not renew their contact with the IFA as a testament to our collective power.
We also wish to clearly state the following:
1. PUMA still has blood on its hands. For six years, from 2018-2024, PUMA profiteered upon Israel’s murderous colonization of Palestinian land through its sponsorship of the IFA. Moreover, PUMA has forced workers in Global South nations to produce its products in horrendous and exploitative conditions.
2. The Canadian BDS Coalition has pointed out that PUMA signed a multi-year partnership in August 2021 with Maccabi worth millions of dollars. The Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv play with Puma uniforms and exact copies of the uniforms are available for purchase in the club’s stores.The Canadian BDS Coalition has indicated that their support for boycotting Puma would continue as long as this and any other apartheid agreements are in place.
3. PUMA dropping the IFA is not enough. Gaza is in rubble. Israel has murdered over 20,000 Palestinian people in two months–all of whom had lives, dreams, loves, heartbreaks, and stories. PUMA abandoning Israel after a six year partnership while some other company moves in to take its place can not be considered a full victory.
