No Evidence Nike is Pro-Israel

MENA: Misbar has discovered that Nike Inc. is based in Beaverton, Oregon, and includes the Nike, Converse, and Jordan brands. According to their website, their mission is to “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.” Nike is a global company, selling products in 170 countries, and more than 50 percent of its revenue coming from outside the U.S. The 170 countries are several retail stores in Israel. Nike also acquired a fashion-tech company in Israel.

Nike has tried to reach as many worldwide customers as possible with various advertisements, including one targeted at Middle Eastern women. One ad features figure skater Zahra Lari from the United Arab Emirates, fencer Inès Boubakri from Tunisia, and boxer Arifa Bseiso from Jordan.

Mahmoud Nawajaa, BDS movement National Committee General Coordinator, told Misbar, “There is much information online claiming that some large companies give money to Israel, like Nike, Starbucks, and Mcdonalds, which turns out to be false. BDS has built a reputation for strictly adhering to facts and producing the most accurate information.” One of 42 companies uses fabric from Israeli textile companies with manufacturing and operations in illegal West Bank settlements on one blog site. However, according to Ohio State University, Nike gets most of its cotton fabric from suppliers in China, India, Turkey, and the U.S.

Nike is an international company with relationships, factories, and stores worldwide, including in Israel. However, Misbar did not find evidence that Nike is pro-Israel.