Sephora urged to drop Huda Beauty cosmetic line after its founder accuses Israel of causing all World Wars
FIRST ON FOX– Activist group StopAntisemitism is demanding Sephora stop carrying products from Huda Beauty after its founder posted a TikTok rant in which she blamed Israel for causing every World War, 9/11 and even the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack.
"All of the conspiracy theories coming out and a lot of evidence behind them — that Israel has been behind World War I, World War II, September 11, October 7 — they allowed all of this stuff to happen. Is this crazy? Like, I had a feeling — I was like, ‘Are they behind every World War?’ Yes. Behind September 11? Absolutely," Huda Beauty founder Huda Kattan said in the post to her 1.7 million followers, which has since been deleted by TikTok.
Both World War I (ended in 1918) and World War II (ended in 1945) occurred prior to the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948.
In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez said Sephora would stand against its own values by continuing to offer Huda Beauty products.
"If Sephora is serious about creating a safe and inclusive space for all communities, it must drop Huda Beauty immediately," the letter states.
BROTHER OF ISRAELI HOSTAGE URGES UN TO ACT AFTER VIDEO SHOWS HAMAS STARVING AND TORTURING CAPTIVES
"From spreading the antisemitic lie that Jews harvest the organs of Palestinians to victim-blaming Israelis after Hamas’ terrorist atrocities, Kattan has consistently used her massive platform to incite against Jews," the letter adds. "I am requesting Sephora immediately sever ties with Huda Beauty and stop carrying its products online and in stores. Until you do so, I will not be shopping in your stores and will be making my friends, family, and community aware of this troubling issue.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Rez said Kattan was an "unhinged hater" who spreads "bigotry."
A representative for TikTok told Fox News Digital the video was removed for violating their community guidelines. TikTok's guidelines stipulate that the social media app does not allow "misinformation that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent."
Tamar Major, the USA National Director for Yad Vashem, told Fox News Digital that Kattan's remarks weren't just factually wrong, they were darkly reminiscent of the Nazi rhetoric used to incite the German people against the Jews.
"Hearing that same rhetoric resurface today is not just offensive — it’s historically illiterate and profoundly dangerous," Major told Fox News Digital.
The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas also blamed the Jews for World War I in its 1988 charter. Hamas perpetrated the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed nearly 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 251.
Kattan, a former finance professional, started Huda Beauty in 2013. The company generates $200 million in profit yearly and was valued at $1.2 billion in 2017, per Forbes. Huda Beauty has been carried in Sephora stores since it launched and began being sold in the U.S. and worldwide in 2015.
Kattan has also accused the Jewish State of sheltering pedophiles and engaging in organ harvesting from Palestinians. Other Jewish groups condemned Kattan’s remarks and demanded that retailers stop working with her.
"Huda Kattan built a brand around beauty—but these antisemitic conspiracy theories are nothing short of ugly hate. Spreading vile myths about Jews to millions of followers isn’t just reckless—it’s dangerous." Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt told Fox News Digital in a statement.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
Ari Hoffnung of JLens, a Jewish values-based investor network, said retailers had to make a decision when it came to opposing antisemitism.
"They can continue to platform a brand whose founder promotes hate-fueled conspiracy theories, or they can take a stand against antisemitism," Hoffnung told Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Sephora and Huda Kattan did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.