LONDON: A pro-Israel group in the US is facing sharp criticism after naming popular children’s educational YouTuber Ms. Rachel as a contender for its “Antisemite of the Year” award.
Ms. Rachel, real name Rachel Griffin Accurso, has been a strong advocate for Palestinian children and highlighted their suffering during Israel’s war in Gaza.
StopAntisemitism included her on its “top 10 finalists” list of contenders for the title, alongside American actors Cynthia Nixon and Marcia Cross, both of whom have also spoken out against Israel’s conduct during the conflict.
In May, Accurso posted a video to her social media accounts of herself dancing with Rahaf, a three-year-old Palestinian girl who lost both of her legs in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.
StopAntisemitism claimed Accurso, whose YouTube channel has 18 million subscribers, “has pushed Hamas propaganda to millions” by sharing fake images, inflating casualty claims and ignoring Israeli child victims.
In a message posted on Instagram on Tuesday, two days after the StopAntisemitism top 10 list was published, Accurso thanked Jewish groups and friends who had supported her advocacy.
“I hate how some people try to make this about Jewish people versus people who are antisemitic, when there are so many Jewish people, and people who support and love them, working tirelessly to end the genocide against Palestinians.”
Her inclusion on the list prompted strong criticism from political and cultural figures.
“Ms. Rachel is a preschool teacher who speaks up for starving children in Gaza,” said Democratic member of the House of Representatives Ro Khanna. “That is not antisemitism. I hope thousands will join me in standing up for her.”
American comedian Dave Smith lambasted the organization, writing on social media platform X: “Imagine thinking that attacking Ms. Rachel is a winning strategy. Yeah guys, that ought to undo the collapse of support for Israel. Attack the nice lady who makes a children’s show for the crime of feeling bad when Palestinian kids are slaughtered and maimed.”
Jon Favreau, a political commentator, podcaster and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama, described Ms. Rachel as “one of the kindest humans in public life, who has preached nothing but love for all children, everywhere.”
In a message posted on X he added: “She hasn’t uttered a cruel word toward anyone, let alone antisemitism. This absolute garbage sets back the fight against antisemitism. What an embarrassment.”
StopAntisemitism was founded in 2018 and describes itself as a watchdog organization that exposes groups and individuals “that espouse incitement towards the Jewish people and state, and engage in antisemitic behaviors.”
The 10 finalists on its 2025 “Antisemite of the Year” list also included former Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, UFC fighter and conspiracy theorist Bryce Mitchell, and Turkish-American left-wing political commentator Cenk Uygur.
“Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon was targeted by the group last month over her boycott of Israeli film institutions in response to the war in Gaza.
She defended her opposition to Israel’s actions during the war by pointing out that her two children are Jewish and their grandparents survived the Holocaust.
“‘Never again’ means never again for anyone,” she has said in a number of interviews.
Accurso, whose YouTube channel features educational videos for babies and toddlers, said she was motivated to use her platform to highlight the suffering of children in Gaza after hearing firsthand accounts and watching videos online.
“It’s sad that people try to make it controversial when you speak out for children that are facing immeasurable suffering,” she said in an interview with media organization Zeteo in May. “I think it should be controversial to not say anything.”
More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the war started in October 2023, according to Palestinian health officials, and tens of thousands have been injured. More than 50,000 have lost at least one parent.
