Many famous faces have shared their thoughts on the Israel-Palestinian war, with mixed reactions from fans. While some stars have chosen to stay neutral or offer support for civilians on both sides of the conflict, others have come under fire for comments backing one side or the other.
It includes Iraqi-American beauty mogul Huda Kattan, whose support for Palestinians has led to a boycott from some Israeli customers and supporters of Israel. However, the 40-year-old is now leading a boycott of her own against Starbucks, after the coffee company joined with the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce to seek out stores backing Hamas.
On October 7, Hamas led a surprise attack on Israel, with Israel subsequently launching airstrikes on Gaza. The Associated Press reports that at least 1,400 people have been killed in Israel so far, according to the Israeli military, while the Gaza Health Ministry said that 5,700 people have been killed in the territory.
Calls for Kattan—who is the founder of the popular cosmetics line Huda Beauty and skincare brand Wishful—to be canceled began on October 7, when she said "I don't want blood money" from Israeli customers on Instagram.
The declaration isn't the first time that Kattan has publicly supported Palestinians. In 2021, the Dubai-based businesswoman slammed Israel over its airstrikes on Gaza, while condemning the evictions of Palestinians from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
Newsweek has reached out to Kattan and Starbucks for comment via email.
On an Instagram post of Kattan celebrating her 40th birthday on October 7, an Israeli fan wrote: "I don't know if you noticed, but Israelis from all over the world love you and your products.
"With most of their money, you chose Gaza. So remember this as soon as no Israeli buys from you again, anywhere in the world. And it's a shame because we buy a lot."
"I don't want blood money," Kattan replied, leading to a petition urging beauty product retailer Sephora to remove Huda Beauty from its U.S. stores.
The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce shared a letter written by AJ Jones II—Starbucks' executive vice president and chief communications officer of public affairs—to X, formerly Twitter, on October 19.
In the letter, the coffee chain said it "unequivocally condemned acts of terrorism, hate and violence," and that it had filed a complaint against Starbucks Worker's United—a union of Starbucks employees that is currently supporting Palestinians on its Instagram page.
In response to the letter, Kattan said on X: "I stopped allowing [Starbucks] into my house even from guest."
Despite the backlash to her previous comments, many followers praised Kattan for the boycott, with hagaromo writing: "Shout out to you, Huda. This is why I support you and purchase your products."
"Your comments on not wanting blood money got great response on my Instagram. You have been inspiring," said H Beauty, while Daisy Chainz commented: "Huda, Thank you for using your platform."
Kattan isn't the only celebrity whose support of Palestinians has led to cancelation calls.
After referring to Hamas as "freedom fighters" on social media on October 7, former adult movie star Mia Khalifa lost her podcasting deal with Playboy, along with being dropped as an adviser by Red Light Holland.
Actor Mark Ruffalo found himself in hot water after sharing a petition titled "Israel/Palestine—Stop Child Bloodshed Now" on social media, while singer Zara Larsson was criticized for comparing the plight of Palestinians with victims of the Ukraine war in an Instagram Story.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and TV, trending news and the entertainment industry. She has covered pop culture, women's rights and the arts extensively. Sophie joined Newsweek in 2022 from Social Change UK, and has previously written for The Untitled Magazine, The Mary Sue, Ms. Magazine and Screen Rant. She graduated with a BA Honours in Fine Art from Birmingham City University and has an MA in Arts Journalism from the University of Lincoln. Languages: English.
You can get in touch with Sophie by emailing s.lloyd@newsweek.com.
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