While many famous faces shared their thoughts on the Israeli-Palestinian war, there were mixed reactions from their fans. While some stars have chosen to remain neutral or support civilians on both sides of the conflict, others have come under fire for comments supporting one side or the other.
They include Iraqi American beauty mogul Huda Kattan, whose support for Palestinians has led to a boycott by some Israeli customers and supporters of Israel. But the 40-year-old coffee company is leading its own boycott against Starbucks, joining with the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce to find stores that support Hamas.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, followed by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. The Associated Press reported that, according to the Israeli army, at least 1,400 people have been killed in Israel so far, while the Gaza Ministry of Health reported that 5,700 people have been killed in the region.
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Calls for cancellation by Kattan, founder of popular cosmetics brand Huda Beauty and skincare brand Wishful, began on October 7, when she posted on Instagram saying “I don’t want blood money” from Israeli customers.
This statement is not the first time Kattan has openly supported the Palestinians. While the Dubai-based businesswoman harshly criticized Israel for its air strikes on Gaza in 2021, she also condemned the evacuation of Palestinians from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
news week Reached out to Kattan and Starbucks via email for comment.
In an Instagram post by Kattan, who celebrated his 40th birthday on October 7, an Israeli fan wrote: “I don’t know if you noticed, but Israelis all over the world love you and your products.
“You chose Gaza with a lot of their money. So remember this if no Israeli anywhere in the world ever buys from you again. And it’s a shame because we buy so much.”
Kattan’s response, “I don’t want blood money,” sparked a petition calling on beauty retailer Sephora to remove Huda Beauty from its U.S. stores.
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The Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce shared a letter written Oct. 19 by Starbucks executive vice president and chief communications officer AJ Jones II to X, formerly known as Twitter.
The letter said the coffee chain “unequivocally condemns acts of terrorism, hatred and violence” and has filed a complaint against Starbucks Workers United, the Starbucks employee union that currently supports Palestinians, on its Instagram page.
In response to the letter, Kattan said of X: “I stopped allowing [Starbucks] “Enter my house even as a guest.”
Despite the backlash to her previous comments, many followers praised Kattan for the boycott, with Hagaromo writing: “I’m calling out to you, Huda. That’s why I support you and buy your products.”
H Beauty said, “Your comments that you did not want blood money received a great reaction on Instagram. You were inspiring,” while Daisy Chainz commented: “Huda, thank you for using your platform.”
Kattan isn’t the only celebrity whose support for the Palestinians has led to calls being cancelled.
Former adult film star Mia Khalifa lost her podcast deal with Playboy and left her position as a consultant for Red Light Holland after referring to Hamas as “freedom fighters” on social media on October 7.
Actor Mark Ruffalo found himself in hot water after sharing a petition titled “Israel/Palestine—Stop the Blood of Children” on social media. Singer Zara Larsson was criticized for comparing the situation of Palestinians to victims of the Ukrainian war in her Instagram Story.
