Ms. Rachel Discusses Backlash Over Gaza Comments and Calls for Celebrity Advocacy

<p>YouTuber Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, stated in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine on September 12, 2026, that the backlash she received for her social media posts regarding Gaza "doesn't faze" her. She noted that although she has previously addressed various political issues, her comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict have attracted significant criticism.</p><p>Accurso expressed surprise at the backlash, saying, "I thought everyone hated me at one point. I remember calling friends and family members, Jewish and not Jewish, and just being like, ‘Why do people hate that I don’t want kids to be killed and starved?’"</p><p>She continues to advocate for Palestinian children in Gaza and criticized celebrities and politicians for their lack of public statements on the issue. Accurso remarked, "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. People on the ground in Gaza are risking their lives all the time to help kids. I can do it from Manhattan."</p><p>Accurso also accused celebrities of demonstrating a racial double standard regarding their advocacy for children, stating, "They probably would say something if these kids were White and from a different place. Please stop being racist and risk something," as reported on her Instagram.</p><p>She was among several prominent progressives who criticized singer Ed Sheeran after Macklemore was removed as the opening act for his tour following Macklemore's support for Palestine. Accurso stated, "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."</p><p>Accurso also commented on the disparity in reactions to child casualties, saying, "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."</p><p>Her comments have drawn criticism from pro-Israel organizations, with Rabbi Yaakov Menken of the Coalition for Jewish Values stating, "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 further noted that Accurso's focus on Gaza children contrasts sharply with her lack of attention to other global child welfare issues.</p>