Category: BDS Hub

New update on Puma campaign – Puma Swaps One Complicit Israeli Distributor for Another.

(Puma responded quickly to our December 9th letter, which over 25 organizations in Canada had endorsed. Following is our reply to them, as well as a copy of their letter.)

December 10, 2020
Bob Philion
President, Puma North America

Thanks for your quick reply to our letter. However, our main concern about Puma sponsorship of the Israel Football Association IFA remains unanswered.

Puma’s current exclusive licensee in Israel, Delta Galil Industries, has been listed on the United Nations database of companies that are complicit in, or profit from, illegal settlement activity. So it is encouraging to hear that the contract with Delta Galil expires at the end of 2020 and there is a new distribution contract with Al Srad Ltd, that “does also not have any operations or branches in settlements”.

However, this does not change the fact that Puma is still a sponsor of the Israeli Football Association IFA. An association that you acknowledge in your letter includes teams from illegal settlements. Having the Puma logo proudly displayed on the IFA website connects your company with this egregious violation of international law. To claim that Puma does not directly put jerseys on the backs of players in those specific illegal settlement teams in no way alleviates that complicity.

In today’s global economy, a company’s brand is its currency. Your brand is tainted by your involvement with the IFA. As we said in our original letter, “we will not purchase Puma products until the company stops these unethical practices, and until the Puma logo is no longer featured on the website for the Israel Football Association”. Until then, we are keeping Puma out of our shopping cart.
________________________________________
Puma’s Response to our Initial Letter:

BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish
Canada Palestine Association

With regards to your recent memo, please know that PUMA does not support football teams in settlements nor does its Israeli distributor have branches in settlements. 

PUMA’s local distribution partner Delta Galil supplies the Israeli National Teams with PUMA branded football equipment to compete in international competitions. PUMA’s contract with its Israeli distributor Delta Galil will expire at the end of 2020. The new distribution contract is with Al Srad Ltd, a company of Irani Corporation. Al Srad Ltd. does also not have any operations or branches in settlements. It is the decision between our new distributor and the Israeli Federation to mutually agree whether to continue the cooperation or not.

PUMA does not have any other connection or association with any other Israeli football club team – neither in mainland Israel nor in settlements. The six football clubs (Ma’ale Adumim, Ariel, Bikat HaYarden, Kiryat Arba, Givaat Zeev and Oranit) which play in different leagues of the IFA and are based in the West Bank are not equipped with PUMA products, but by other sports brands. 

PUMA continues to support and outfit athletes from all backgrounds, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation and national origin. As a brand concerned only with the power that Sport has to bring people together, PUMA does not support any political direction, political parties or governments. We welcome the opportunity to help everyone compete in sports no matter who they are or where they are from.

Sincerely, 
Bob Philion
President  
PUMA NORTH AMERICA | COBRA PUMA GOLF | 10 Lyberty Way | Westford, MA. 01886  

Check out the newest action in the #BoycottPuma – Give Puma the Boot campaign. Over twenty-five organizations in Canada, including unions, student associations and social justice groups, endorsed our letter to Puma calling on them to end their sponsorship of the Israel Football Association.
(le français suit)

December 9, 2020

Mr. Maguire, Senior VP, Canada
Mr. Philion, CEO, Puma North America

People in Canada have recently come together to send the message that we should all be concerned about Puma’s involvement in violations of international law and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Folks from Vancouver to Calgary to Toronto have gone on social media to express their concerns and to say #BoycottPuma until it stops legitimizing Israeli apartheid.

Why? Because Puma is the main sponsor of the Israel Football Association (IFA), which includes teams in Israel’s illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land. In addition, Puma’s exclusive licensee in Israel is Delta Galil Industries, which has branches in those same illegal Israeli settlements.

We join with other consumers in Canada and around the world in letting you know that we will not purchase Puma products until the company stops these unethical practices, and until the Puma logo is no longer featured on the website for the Israel Football Association. The first sentence in your “Code of Conduct” is “Puma respects human rights”; we call on Puma to live up to that commitment.

Sincerely,
BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish
Canada Palestine Association

Endorsed by:
Canadian Union of Postal Workers CUPW-STTP
Vancouver & District Labour Council
Bayan Canada
BDS Québec
Canada Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights
Canadian BDS Coalition
CanPalNet (Canada-Palestine Support Network)
Independent Jewish Voices Vancouver
IJV Vancouver Youth Bloc
International League of Peoples’ Struggle ILPS Canada/Ligue internationale de lutte des peuples
Just Peace Advocates/Mouvement pour une Paix Juste
MidIslanders for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine-Israel (NMJPI)
Oakville Palestinian Rights Association OPRA
PAJU Palestinian and Jewish Unity/Palestiniens et Juifs unis
Palestine House (Palestinian Canadian Community Centre)
Palestine Solidarity Working Group-Sudbury
Palestinian Youth Movement – Toronto
Palestinian Youth Movement – Vancouver
Peace Alliance Winnipeg
Regina Peace Council
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights – Queen’s University
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights-SPHR McMaster
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights – UBC
Students in Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights McGill
Sulong UBC
University of Toronto Students Against Israeli Apartheid
Young Communist League Vancouver

____________________________________________

Monsieur Maguire, Vice-président senior, Canada
Monsieur Philion, PDG, Amérique du nord

De nombreuses personnes au Canada se sont récemment réunies pour signaler que nous devrions tous nous inquiéter de l’implication de Puma dans des violations du droit international et des droits légitimes du peuple palestinien. Des citoyens de Vancouver à Toronto, en passant par Calgary, ont utilisé les médias sociaux pour exprimer leurs inquiétudes et dire #BoycottPuma jusqu’à tant que l’entreprise cesse de légitimer l’apartheid israélien.

Pourquoi? Parce que Puma est le principal sponsor de l’Association israélienne de football (IFA), laquelle comprend des équipes dans les colonies illégales d’Israël situées sur les terres palestiniennes occupées. En outre, Delta Galil Industries, titulaire exclusif de la licence Puma en Israël, possède des succursales dans ces mêmes colonies israéliennes illégales.

Nous nous joignons à d’autres consommateurs au Canada et dans le monde pour vous informer que nous n’achèterons pas de produits Puma tant que votre entreprise n’aura pas mis fin à ses pratiques contraires à l’éthique, et tant que le logo de Puma restera affiché sur le site Web de l’Association israélienne de football. La première phrase de votre « Code de conduite » est : « Puma respecte les droits de la personne ». 

Nous appelons Puma à se montrer à la hauteur de cet engagement.

Cordialement,

BDS Vancouver-Coast Salish
Canada Palestine Association

Update – Puma responds, and we reply: Still Keeping Puma out of our Shopping Cart!