Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s appearance in an Israeli commercial will not sit well with his many fans in the Arab world and beyond.
The commercial for an Israeli Internet company sees Ronaldo, one of football’s greatest players, appearing alongside three Israeli comedians who praise his speed before he appears to say that he is faster than the company’s broadband connection.
Ronaldo appeared to be pleased with the ad, posting a link to it on his Twitter account. While the post was liked by almost 6,000 people, negative reactions weren’t far behind. Remarks such as “Free Palestine” were common responses, underlining the fact that he had angered many of his fans in the Arab world, some of whom he looks bound to lose.
The video has amassed 130,000 views in just three days but has a 2:1 ratio of likes to dislikes because of the controversy surrounding Ronaldo’s appearance. So far, the soccer star has not removed his tweet, despite heavy pressure from fans to do so.
There was no need for this outburst because there was no need for Ronaldo to align himself with an Israeli company. He doesn’t need the fame. In the most popular sport in the world, he is often ranked as the best player in the world and rated by some in the sport as the greatest of all time. He doesn’t need the attention. The 31-year-old was three times voted the world’s best player.
Ronaldo certainly doesn’t need the money. His combined income from salaries, bonuses and off-field earnings was $79 million in 2014–15. Forbes has twice ranked Ronaldo first on their list of the world’s highest-paid football players.
And he is surely in no need of recognition. The most popular sportsperson on social media, he counted 158 million total followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by June 2015. He is called the most recognized football player in the world. Ronaldo is an iconic figure, named in the 2014 Time’s annual list of the most influential people in the world.
There are plenty of global celebrities who at one time or another decided it would be better to sell their soul to the devil than to have anything to do with Israel. Penelope Cruz and husband Javier Bardem signed an open letter along with dozens of other Spanish film stars, directors, musicians and writers denouncing Israel’s 2014 war in Gaza as “genocide”. Danny Glover signed on to a declaration condemning Israel as an “apartheid regime”. Emma Thompson participated in a call with other actors to boycott a performance of Israel’s Habima Theater for its “shameful record of involvement with illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.” Dustin Hoffman canceled plans to attend the Jerusalem Film Festival following the IDF’s raid on the 2010 flotilla that sought to break the blockade on Gaza. And Stevie Wonder backed out of a performance at a Friends of the Israel Defense Forces gala in Los Angeles following a recommendation from the United Nations to withdraw.
There’s nothing wrong or unusual for athletes to make commercials and ads; they’ve been doing them for decades. Because superstars have huge followings, and Ronaldo is one of the most marketable, they are used by companies to sell, making millions for themselves and the products they promote. But because of their tremendous fan base which naturally includes millions of children and teenagers, one will not find the likes of Lebron James, Lionel Messi and Roger Federer peddling an alcoholic drink or a brand of cigarettes. There are certain things celebrities should not sell. Palestine should be one of them.
