Rumours have been circulating that beauty retailer Sephora is reportedly investigating Huda Beauty following backlash over a video critical of Israel that she posted on her TikTok account last month.
Kattan has since removed the video in question, explaining on Instagram that it had been “misinterpreted and completely misused” by many people who were taking her words “out of context.” She claimed that retailers that stock her brand had been subjected to a campaign of harassment because of her vocal support for Palestine.
If it is true that Sephora is conceding to pressure to review its relationship with Huda Beauty, it would be deeply disconcerting, as it would demonstrate how far retailers go to disassociate from critics of Israel. All the while, we know that many turn a blind eye to other issues — from workers’ rights to the environmental impact of the industry.
The reason many are so ready to believe this story is because, for over 20 months, we’ve witnessed the power Israel exerts. This doesn’t just take the form of political allyship, but also manifests through the soft power of manufacturing consent for its crimes — with its supporters seeking to destroy the careers of anyone who dares to criticise it.
The power of BDS
Whether true or not, the whole debacle does point to the need to address the elephant in the room: Should a true advocate for Palestine have worked with Sephora in the first place, given its place on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) list? After all, its parent company, LVMH, has a long history of contributing to the Israeli economy, and its owner Bernard Arnault has ties to cybersecurity firm Wiz — a company used for Israeli military intelligence.
The case of Huda Beauty has brought to mind the weight of our own political power — and how we should be using it. The reason boycotts are so effective is that the biggest influence most of us have as anonymous cogs in the capitalist machine is our buying power — and where we withdraw it is as powerful as where we apply it.
Already, the World Bank has confirmed that the BDS movement is having a significant impact on the Israeli economy, and one only needs to look at the loss in sales for the likes of McDonald’s and Starbucks to see that speaking with our pockets is perhaps the most effective thing we can do.
The question of whether the capitalist influencers of our time can ever truly be meaningful advocates for the Palestinian cause, must also be raised. Is it futile to look for a moral compass in those who have built their platforms by further cementing global inequalities — acquiring more wealth than they need and contributing to the excessive consumption of goods?
From Taylor Swift to DJ Khaled, why are we waiting for our influencers and celebrities to say something about Palestine when their silence is perfectly in keeping with the systems that benefit them at the cost of everyone else?
Money talks
Maybe in the past, we were able to look the other way when it came to famous people whose music, art, books or films we admired. But in the wake of what we are seeing in Gaza, it feels unfathomable to support the careers of celebrities who have chosen to stay silent — despite possessing the wealth and influence to radically change public opinion on Israel, and even the course of this genocide. And rightly so.
The age of separating the art from the artist is well and truly over. Now, we see the artists of our time whenever we open our social media feeds — wielding bags, jewellery, and cars expensive enough to feed a besieged nation. We know their views, whether through their words or their silence. And so, it feels deliberate and particularly callous to choose to garner millions of likes for a selfie rather than a public statement on genocide.
Perhaps that’s why it feels so surprising that Huda Beauty has been targeted for her Palestine solidarity. She is hardly the most extreme face of Israeli criticism. She has donated significantly to charities supporting Gazan victims of genocide — including $1 million to Doctors Without Borders and Human Appeal — but she is no Greta Thunberg or Sally Rooney, who have risked personal harm, terrorism charges, and even prison sentences for their advocacy.
The point here is not to police her strain of advocacy, but to examine why Huda’s sharing of a video seems to have garnered more of a response than, say, Sally Rooney vowing to donate all of her BBC revenue to the UK-proscribed group Palestine Action. The answer, of course, is clear: money talks.
Huda Beauty sharing views that some consider to be offensive or unpalatable could lead to a huge dent in profits — and there’s nothing a corporation fears more than the idea that people will stop buying their products.
Ultimately, this entire controversy should prompt us to reflect on something much bigger than whether Huda Beauty will continue to be stocked in Sephora. It’s about the political power we all hold at our fingertips — and the significance of choosing our brands carefully. Because in the end, the capitalist system that governs us — and especially the Israeli state, whose economy relies on so many of these corporations — cares more about where we put our money than what we do with our voices.
Nadeine Asbali is a freelance writer and secondary school teacher based in London. She is the author of Veiled Threat: On Being Visibly Muslim in Britain
Follow her on X: @nadeinewrites
Have questions or comments? Email us at: editorial-english@newarab.com
Opinions expressed in this article remain those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab, its editorial board or staff.