Ms. Rachel Says Gaza Backlash 'Doesn't Faze' Her, Criticizes Celebrity Silence

Children's entertainer Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, stated in a recent interview that the backlash she has faced for her social media posts regarding Gaza "doesn't faze" her significantly anymore. Accurso told Rolling Stone that while she has previously commented on political issues such as Trump administration deportation policies and LGBTQ activism, her remarks on the Israel-Hamas war have drawn the most intense criticism.

Accurso acknowledged that the criticism was initially surprising. "I thought everyone hated me at one point," she said, recalling conversations with friends and family about why people were upset by her stance against the killing and starvation of children. She has continued to advocate for Palestinian children in Gaza and has called out celebrities and politicians for what she perceives as insufficient public statements on the matter.

"‘You’re gonna lose this partnership. You’re gonna lose views.’ That doesn’t faze me because the kids gave me the platform. I’m going to stand with them no matter what," Accurso stated. "People on the ground in Gaza are risking their lives all the time to help kids. I can do it from Manhattan."

The interview comes days after Accurso accused celebrities who have remained silent on Gaza of exhibiting a racial double standard in their perceived value of children's lives. "They probably would say something if these kids were White and from a different place. Please stop being racist and risk something," Accurso posted on Instagram.

She also criticized singer Ed Sheeran, whose opening act Macklemore was reportedly removed from his tour after Macklemore repeatedly called for a "Free Palestine" and performed an anti-Israel song. "Ed Sheeran had an opportunity [to] show that we won't be bullied into punishing people for supporting Palestine. Instead, he caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows. A genocide is happening in Gaza. We all need to speak out against it," Accurso wrote. She added, "If more than 20,000 White children were killed in another part of the world, everyone would be shouting about it at their concerts. Treating some children’s lives as less worthy of outrage is racist. Silence during a genocide is not neutral."

Accurso has faced criticism from pro-Israel organizations that claim her posts spread anti-Israel propaganda and repeatedly accuse Israel of committing "genocide." Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, commented, "To attempt to dress up Jew-hatred as a righteous cause is by no means new. No one is criticizing Rachel Accurso because she doesn't ‘want kids to be killed and starved.’"

Menken also questioned her focus, stating, "She claims to care about 35.5 million children suffering from acute malnutrition across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, but spends an inordinate amount of time speaking about 0.031 million children in Gaza. When 0.09% of starving children receive 90% of her attention, something is wrong." He further alleged, "She had nothing to say about Israeli children being held hostage until seven months later, when the backlash became too loud to ignore. It is clear that her problem is not a deep concern for children, but that she is using her purported deep concern to mask something much darker."