Ms. Rachel targeted after voicing concern for children in Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
11 Apr 2025 08:58
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The lobby, StopAntisemitism, accused Ms. Rachel of “spreading Hamas propaganda” following her public comments about the starvation of Palestinian children.

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Ms. Rachel Sing & Speak Dolls, from Spin Master, are displayed at the TTPM 2024 Holiday Showcase event, in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP)

Rachel Griffin Accurso—better known as Ms. Rachel, a beloved figure in early childhood education—is facing attacks from a pro-"Israel" lobby after she expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The lobby, StopAntisemitism, accused her of “spreading Hamas propaganda” following her public comments about the starvation of Palestinian children and her calls for increased humanitarian aid.

Known for aggressively targeting critics of Israeli policy, StopAntisemitism has frequently come under fire for conflating support for Palestinian human rights with "antisemitism".

In a letter addressed to US Attorney General Pam Bondi and obtained by The Post, the group’s director, Liora Rez, urged an investigation into whether Ms. Rachel had violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)—a law traditionally applied in cases of covert foreign influence.

Ms. Rachel has raised her voice to express sympathy with Palestinian children who are suffering and even raised money for a child in #Gaza.
‘Stop Antisemitism’ and other pro-#Israel groups are now accusing her of spreading “Hamas propaganda”.@MintPressNews pic.twitter.com/tehSSz2VMn
— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) April 10, 2025

Rez claimed that Ms. Rachel was “incorporating Hamas-like propagated images and stories” while ignoring the suffering of Israelis. However, multiple claims made by the organisation appear to contradict independently verified accounts of Gaza’s humanitarian emergency.

One example targeted by the group included a post about Fadi al-Zant, a Palestinian child suffering from cystic fibrosis and starvation. His condition was confirmed by his mother in an interview for The Washington Post. StopAntisemitism also dismissed credible reports of children dying from hypothermia in Gaza’s winter, despite documentation from UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, and Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The group further alleged that 1.7 million tonnes of aid had reached Gaza—figures sharply at odds with widespread reports of a near-total blockade since early March. Aid agencies have consistently warned of famine conditions, particularly in northern Gaza.

'I saw trauma in children’s eyes'

While StopAntisemitism continues to defend Israeli genocide in Gaza, leading international human rights bodies—including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Court of Justice—have raised serious concerns about possible war crimes and what the ICJ described as a “plausible risk of genocide.”

As of April 2025, over 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli war, mainly women and children, not to mention the hundreds of thousands now at risk of starvation.

Ms. Rachel, whose Songs for Littles program has become a staple for young children, has stressed that her involvement is not political but rooted in empathy.

“I saw trauma in children’s eyes and couldn’t stay silent,” she told The Independent.

Despite raising more than $50,000 for humanitarian efforts—including aid directed to Gaza—she has been subjected to online abuse and coordinated smear campaigns.