A social media account has sparked backlash and accusations of silencing humanitarian voices after publicly calling on the US attorney general to investigate children’s educator and YouTube personality Ms Rachel for allegedly promoting “anti-Israel propaganda”.
In a tweet posted earlier this week, StopAntisemitism, a self-described watchdog organisation, claimed that Ms Rachel had become “an amplifier of Hamas propaganda” since 7 October 2023, sharing content to her over 20 million followers that included an allegedly misrepresented “‘starving child’ from Gaza photo”, and statistics they called false regarding Palestinian child casualties.
“Is someone funding Ms Rachel?” the post asked, before calling on followers to file a Foreign Agents Registration Act complaint with the Department of Justice.
The post prompted widespread condemnation across social media, with many accusing the group of smearing a beloved educator known primarily for her children’s content on YouTube and TikTok, and of weaponising the term antisemitism to silence valid criticism of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.
“If they’ll go after Ms. Rachel, what will they do to you?” asked one user, warning that the campaign represented an effort to intimidate and suppress voices calling for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
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Another said: “people are so delusional that they’ll tell you with a straight face that children’s YouTuber Miss Rachel is Hamas before they’ll admit that a genocide is happening to Palestinians”.
“This should be an Onion article, but this extremist account that tars any support for Palestinians as ‘pro-Hamas’ is now actually coming after one of the most beloved figures in the United States,” another posted.
As someone who at this point has watched a LOT of Ms. Rachel now with my nephew, she’s the most inoffensive and uninvolved dramawise channel around.
She made what like maybe 3 or 4 posts praying for children in Palestine who watch her.
That’s her great crime.
Fuck off. https://t.co/Dc68b2p6CI
— Matt (@Necroxis9) April 8, 2025
people are so delusional that they’ll tell you with a straight face that children’s YouTuber Miss Rachel is Hamas before they’ll admit that a genocide is happening to Palestinians being live streamed in 4K across platforms https://t.co/2KZZhbRbpK
— Kat (@katstreams_) April 8, 2025
Others noted that Ms Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, has advocated for the welfare of children, regardless of nationality or ethnicity, with one comment reading: “A woman who became famous by making content for children is against killing kids… and you are mad about that?? What’s wrong with you people??”
It’s very telling that Zionism is a crime against children when its biggest enemies are apparently children’s teachers, children’s entertainers, and children’s hospitals. https://t.co/mRYY6RGYpU
— Glenn_the_Golden (#1⃣ Noided Streamer) (@GlenntheGolden1) April 8, 2025
Among those defending Ms Rachel was the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), which issued a statement condemning the campaign as “dangerously misleading and designed to silence humanitarian advocacy”.
MPAC praised Ms Rachel’s efforts to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling her message one of “compassion, human dignity, and moral leadership”.
This is not the first time the educator – who has posted regularly about the record number of child amputees in Gaza and criticised Israel’s blockade of food and supplies – has come under attack by pro-Israeli figures.
Last May, the YouTube sensation said she was bullied after she launched a fundraiser for children in conflict zones, including in Gaza.
Her fundraiser, which largely received support from her followers, also triggered a wave of online trolling and calls for her to remain “apolitical”.
“I care deeply for all children. Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the US – Muslim, Jewish, Christian children – all children, in every country. Not one is excluded… Any child suffering is on my heart,” she said in a response to pro-Israeli backlash at the time.
“To do a fundraiser for children who are currently starving – who have no food or water – who are being killed – is human.”
Some users defended StopAntisemitism’s position, with one commenter stating they had already filed a complaint: “We stopped the 40-something Miss Rachel over a year ago when she felt so ‘sad’ for the children in Gaza. NEVER mentioning the children in Israel until a few days later.”
However, the suggestion that Ms Rachel has ignored the suffering of Israeli children is not consistent with her statements on her platforms, and social media users pointed out several posts Ms Rachel has made in support of Israeli families affected by the war.
In a widely shared Instagram post in February, she wrote about the four-year-old and nine-month-old Bibas children, who died in captivity in Gaza along with their mother.
“I’m devastated to hear about precious Ariel and Kfir, and their beloved mother Shiri. My heart is with the Bibas family, the Jewish community, and people all over the world who are grieving. We need to protect children always,” Ms Rachel said.
Middle East Eye reached out to Ms Rachel and the US Department of Justice for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
