Palestinians who lost legs as a result of Israeli fire call for a boycott of Puma on a Gaza City beach, 29 May. The sportswear firm sponsors the Israel Football Association, which includes teams in Israel’s settlements built on occupied Palestinian land in violation of international law. Mahmoud Ajjour APA images

Palestinians are calling on German sportswear brand Puma to end its support for football teams based in Israeli settlements.

Using the slogan “Give Puma the Boot,” they are organizing an international day of action this Saturday to encourage people to boycott Puma products until it complies.

Puma sponsors the Israel Football Association, which includes six teams based in settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israel’s construction of such colonies on Palestinian land is a war crime.

“When companies like Puma sponsor and profit from illegal Israeli settlements, they give a nod to Israel’s far-right regime that its criminal land grabs and attacks on Palestinian sports can continue unabated,” PACBI, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, stated.

More than 200 Palestinian football clubs and sports organizations wrote to Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden calling on the company to end its sponsorship, citing the Israel Football Association’s “complicity in Israel’s violations of international law and Palestinian human rights.”

“Puma is lending its brand to cover up and whitewash Israel’s human rights abuses, including against Palestinian footballers,” they state.

Fourteen rugby teams around the world have heeded the Palestinian call to boycott the sportswear company, according to PACBI.

Inspiring! 14 rugby teams support call from Palestinian athletes to #BoycottPuma.@PUMA sponsors the Israel Football Association, which includes teams in illegal Israeli settlements on stolen Palestinian land.



Join the global day of action, June 15: https://t.co/pStkdoK9qT pic.twitter.com/lA97ZLDevs — PACBI (@PACBI) June 10, 2019

Israeli forces routinely injure, disable, kill and restrict the movement of Palestinian athletes.

Last July, Adidas ended its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association following boycott warnings.

PACBI is calling for an international day of action on Saturday, as this month marks 52 years of Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

Groups in more than 20 countries have organized actions to pressure Puma to end its sponsorship of settlement teams and its complicity in Israeli human rights violations.

20+ countries join #BoycottPuma global day of action - June 15.



Palestinian teams & athletes are calling for a boycott of @Puma until it ends sponsorship of the Israel Football Association, which includes teams in illegal settlements pushing Palestinian families off their land. pic.twitter.com/HvKs5ZB6up — PACBI (@PACBI) June 11, 2019

Palestinian human rights supporters in France distribute hundreds of leaflets calling to #BoycottPuma until it ends support for Israel's illegal land grabs. @Puma sponsors the Israel Football Association, which includes teams in illegal settlements on stolen Palestinian land. pic.twitter.com/Vlc20MsyO0 — PACBI (@PACBI) June 10, 2019

In support of the call from Palestinian teams and athletes, campaigners distribute hundreds of #BoycottPuma leaflets in Tours, France, attracting the attention of young people concerned by @Puma's involvement in Israel's illegal land grabs and violations of Palestinian rights. pic.twitter.com/DZFEiVRkvL — PACBI (@PACBI) June 11, 2019

The @ISRAELFA is violating international law by sponsoring teams on stolen Palestinian land! @Puma must end its partnership with the @ISRAELFA until they respect international law! JOIN THE #BOYCOTTPUMA DAY OF ACTION: https://t.co/xzvJghMyLj pic.twitter.com/mgtPol7LWj — PSC (@PSCupdates) June 10, 2019