Children's entertainer Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, was confronted by podcaster Avi Lichtschein regarding her anti-Israel statements, including accusations that Israel is committing "genocide" in its conflict with Hamas. The interaction reportedly occurred at a neighborhood park while both were with their children.
According to Lichtschein, he asked Accurso about her stance, to which she replied she was not anti-Israel but against the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lichtschein countered that Netanyahu is the democratically elected leader of a sovereign nation and that her statements were "absurd."
Lichtschein stated that Accurso also referenced the number of children who had died in the conflict, asking, "Twenty thousand children have died. How is that not a genocide?" Lichtschein explained that genocide is a specific accusation that should not be casually applied to warfare, suggesting that such rhetoric could incite hostility towards Jewish people. He also mentioned that Accurso repeatedly stated her husband's father is Jewish and that she supports the existence of a Jewish state.
Lichtschein described his interaction with Accurso as an effort to highlight the potential downstream consequences of her public statements, given her large audience. He stated that while he believes her advocacy stems from a place of compassion for children, he felt she was "naïve and gullible" and unaware of the harm her words could cause to the Jewish community. He added that he considered her to be "spreading blood libel."
In a statement, Lichtschein also recalled Accurso identifying herself as a "Zionist," comparing herself to former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. Lichtschein noted that even with such personal affiliations, individuals with large platforms have a responsibility to consider the impact of the rhetoric they amplify. He emphasized that his intention was not to change her mind but to make her aware of the damage her words could inflict.