jfid – Skechers is a world-renowned shoe brand with a variety of casual and sports shoes for men, women, and children.
However, behind its success and popularity, Skechers has also been controversial for its alleged connections to Israel, a country in conflict with Palestine.
What evidence strengthens these allegations? Does Skechers truly support Israel? How do consumers and activists concerned with the Palestine issue react? Here’s a comprehensive review.
History and Background of Skechers
Skechers was founded in 1992 by Robert Greenberg and his son, Michael Greenberg. Both are claimed to be Jewish by the Times of Israel. Robert Greenberg has over 40 years of experience in the shoe industry.
Before founding Skechers, he was the President and CEO of LA Gear, a popular shoe brand in the 1980s. He is known as a visionary entrepreneur who can identify market trends.
Skechers is headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California. Its parent company is Skechers USA Inc., which is one of the leading players in the shoe industry.
Skechers has won various awards and recognitions, such as Brand of the Year by Footwear Plus Magazine in 2015 and Company of the Year by Footwear News in 2019.
Skechers has various brand names, such as Skechers Performance, Skechers Sport, and Skechers USA. Its products are sold in more than 170 countries, including Indonesia.
Skechers also has a philanthropic body called the Skechers Foundation, which focuses on helping children, especially those with special needs.
Skechers’ Collaboration with Israel
One of the pieces of evidence often used as the basis for allegations that Skechers is pro-Israel is the strategic collaboration that Skechers conducted with Israel in 2016.
This collaboration is in the form of a joint venture with MGS Sport Trading Ltd., a shoe distribution company in Israel.
Through this joint venture, Skechers can leverage its sales strategy and global infrastructure to market its products in Israel and the Middle East.
Adi Moliov, the former brand manager of MGS Sport Trading and now the general manager of Skechers Footwear, Ltd., said that this collaboration has brought great success for Skechers.
David Weinberg, the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Skechers, also said that this joint venture has increased the combined joint venture sales by about 80 percent in the first half of 2016 compared to the same period the previous year.
He is confident that this joint venture will have a positive impact on Skechers’ total sales in the coming years.
The Stance of Skechers’ President Towards Israel
Another piece of evidence that raises speculation that Skechers is pro-Israel is the stance of Skechers’ president, Michael Greenberg, who is considered a Zionist.
Zionists are adherents of an ideology that calls for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestinian land.
This is based on Michael Greenberg’s posts on his personal Instagram account, which show his support for Israel.
For example, in 2018, he posted a photo of himself with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, with the caption “Honored to meet Prime Minister Netanyahu”.
In the same year, he also posted a photo of himself with Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin, with the caption “Honored to meet President Rivlin”.
In addition, he also once posted a photo of himself in front of the Western Wall, a holy place for Jews, with the caption “Blessed”.
Boycott Against Skechers
The allegations and evidence linking Skechers to Israel certainly did not escape the attention of consumers and activists who care about the Palestine issue.
They believe that Skechers has provided moral and material support to Israel, which is considered an occupier and oppressor of the Palestinian people.
Therefore, they call for a boycott of Skechers products as a form of solidarity with Palestine. One of the sites campaigning for a boycott against Skechers is boycott.thewitness.news, which provides information about brands affiliated with Israel or originating from Israel.
This site suggests not buying, selling, or working for Skechers, and offers alternative shoe brands that are not linked to Israel.
The site also cites the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement, which is a global movement to pressure Israel to respect the rights of the Palestinian people.
In addition to this site, there are also social media that serve as a means to spread the call for a boycott against Skechers. For example, the Twitter account @BoycottIsrael_ which posted a poster with the words “Boycott Skechers. They support Israel”.
Skechers’ Response
In response to the allegations and boycotts directed at it, Skechers has not yet issued an official response. However, some parties have denied that Skechers is pro-Israel, saying that the allegations are unfounded and unfair.
One of them is Suara.com, an Indonesian online news portal, which made an article titled “Getting to Know Skechers, the American Company Rumored to be Pro-Israel” on November 12, 2023.
This article reviews the profile of Skechers and the collaboration it did with Israel, and states that the news that Skechers is pro-Israel is denied by several parties.
The article also quotes a statement from one of Skechers’ distributors in Indonesia, PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk, which says that Skechers is not involved in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
According to the statement, Skechers only focuses on the shoe business and does not have any political agenda.
Conclusion
Skechers is a world-renowned shoe brand, but it also reaps controversy for being accused of being pro-Israel.
These accusations are based on Skechers’ collaboration with Israel and the stance of Skechers’ president who is considered a Zionist.
This has sparked a boycott movement against Skechers from consumers and activists who care about the Palestine issue.
However, Skechers has not yet issued an official response regarding these allegations, and some parties have denied that Skechers is pro-Israel.
