Group calls for investigation into Ms. Rachel over posts about Gaza children

Yahoo

09-04-2025

(The Hill) — StopAntisemitism, an advocacy organization, wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate popular children's YouTuber Ms. Rachel over posts about the conflict in Israel.
Rachel Griffin Accurso, who goes by Ms. Rachel to her more than 14 million subscribers on YouTube, makes videos for children for speech therapy and learning preschool skills.
The group wrote to Bondi to argue that the influencer should be investigated over whether she has been paid to spread propaganda for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, it was first reported by the New York Post.
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It's one of the first times this group has specifically targeted a high-profile social media influencer and asked the Trump administration to investigate.
The group argues Accurso made claims about children in Gaza that Israel later debunked.
'Given the vast sums of foreign funds that have been directed toward propagandizing our young people on college campuses, we suspect there is a similar dynamic in the online influencer space,' StopAntisemitism Director Liora Rez said in the letter.
The group argued Accurso has been 'incorporating Hamas-like propagated images and stories into her content.'
'Social media influencers increasingly get paid to post. When a child-centered personality like Ms. Rachel begins posting Hamas-aligned messages, which are so out of character, it draws our attention,' Rez said in a statement to The Hill.
Rez said the organization respects Accurso's free speech rights, 'but if it's paid-for content—possibly from a foreign entity—the DOJ should look into who is paying and make sure American laws are followed.'
In a post on the social platform X, the group said the YouTuber had promoted 'a 'starving child' from Gaza photo which was actually a cystic fibrosis case,' but the child's mother later said he was suffering from both cystic fibrosis and starvation.
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The group said Accurso posted 'false' statistics and 'fake' photos circulating online.
'Is someone funding Ms Rachel?' the group questioned, telling its followers to file a complaint that Accurso violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Accurso has frequently posted about the living conditions in Gaza for children to her 2.5 million Instagram followers. Unlike her YouTube content, her Instagram posts are more geared toward adults.
She has highlighted the destruction in Gaza since Hamas's war with Israel began in 2023 and has called for better conditions and humanitarian aid for the children.
The group has argued Accurso incorrectly reported the child death toll in Gaza, as the largely reported Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and its militants when sharing its death totals.
The Hill has reached out to Accurso for comment, but she previously said online that she cares for all children, Palestinian and Israeli. She defended her actions and fundraising efforts for kids in Gaza.
The Hill has also reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
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