Cosmetics company founder claims Israel harvests children’s organs

The founder of a global cosmetics brand has shared a conspiracy theory accusing Israel of harvesting children’s organs.

Iraqi-American businesswoman Huda Kattan, head of Huda Beauty, posted the claim on her Instagram account on Tuesday, where she has more than 50 million followers.

Kattan launched the Dubai-based beauty brand with her sisters Mona and Alya in 2013. The company is now valued at around £888 million, with annual sales of £148 million. Its 140-product range is stocked by major retailers including Sephora, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Boots and Cult Beauty.

In posts to the 4.7 million followers on her personal social media page, Kattan wrote: “Reminder that Israel has a booming organ trade from Palestinian bodies” alongside a video of Israeli anthropologist Meira Weiss, whose book ‘Over Their Dead Bodies’ claimed organs were taken from dead Palestinians between 1996 and 2002.

Kattan goes on to post a claim that Jewish settlers are “inbreds”.

In a veritable catalogue of reposts and posts after 7 October 2023, she accuses Israel of apartheid and reposts a claim that “Israel is murdering Palestinian children deliberately.”

Jewish News has contacted representatives for Huda Beauty, Boots, Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Selfridges, Sephora and Cult Beauty for comment.