Vaatteiden ja kenkien valmistaja Puma tukee Israelin laittomia siirtokuntia ja siten ihmisoikeusloukkauksia sponsoroimalla Israelin jalkapalloliitto IFA:ta.
ICAHD Finland on huolissaan asiasta, ja lähetti Suomen Puman Sanna Jakoselle asiasta ensimmäisen kirjeen 13.4.2021. Olemme jatkaneet keskustelua asiasta hänen kanssaan.
Aikaisempaan kirjeeseemme Jakonen vastasi välittämällä Puman lausunnon:
“PUMA supplies both the Israeli Football Association and Palestinian Football Association, for their Male, Female, and youth National Teams in International Competition, with PUMA branded football equipment through its local distributors.
PUMA has no affiliation whatsoever with, nor does it supply, football teams in settlements or any other football club teams in Israel or Palestine. PUMA’s Israeli distributor does not have any branches or other facilities in these settlements.
PUMA continues to support and outfit athletes from all backgrounds, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation and national origin. PUMA does not support any political direction, political parties or governments.”
ICAHD Finland puolestaan vastasi kirjeeseen 7.6.2021 näin:
”Dear Sanna Jakonen,
Thank you for the reply.
In the reply, you have dropped the claim that Puma’s former Israeli distributor Delta Galil does not have branches in the settlements. Does this mean you admit that the claim is untrue? Given that the company’s Israeli branch Delta Israel has been listed by the United Nations as operating in the settlements, we were surprised to see you make the claim in the first place.
Did Puma terminate its contract with Delta Galil because it found operating in the settlements improper?
You continue to emphasise that Puma’s current Israeli distributor Al Srad Ltd does not operate in the settlements. As we wrote in our previous letter, Al Srad Ltd owns the chain Factory 54, which operates in a mall in Mamilla, which is not part of the territory of Israel, but is under Israeli occupation. Does Puma consider the occupied territories part of Israel?
You continue to claim that Puma does not have any affiliation with settlement football teams. As we noted in our previous letter, Puma’s sponsor logo appears on the settlement teams’ webpage via their affiliation with IFA, which Puma sponsors. Does Puma not find this problematic?
You mentioned Puma sponsoring the Palestinian Football Association. Palestinian civil society is calling on Puma to end its cooperation with IFA, for the reasons we have mentioned in our previous letter. Over 200 Palestinian sports clubs are urging Puma to end sponsorship of IFA. Athletes of the Palestinian national football team have spoken up to ask Puma to end sponsorship of IFA.
As the women’s team player Aya Khattab says:
“The Israeli occupation forces target Palestinian athletes. One shot from a sniper can end the future of any athlete. Puma sponsors our oppression by sponsoring this occupation.”
When will Puma listen to Palestinians, and follow the example of Adidas by ending its sponsorship of IFA?
We look forward to your reply on these issues.
Sincerely,
Syksy Räsänen
Chair of ICAHD Finland”
Päivitys 25.6.2021
Puman lausunnossa väitettiin, että Puma tukee Palestiinan jalkapalloliittoa PFA:ta. Nyt (21.6.2021) PFA on sanonut, että tämä ei pidä paikkaansa.
Kysyimme Pumalta: miten kommentoitte PFA:n lausuntoa? Antoiko Puma virheellistä tietoa, ja jos antoi, miksi?
Jäämme odottamaan vastausta.