Distribution in Gaza ‘goes against every principle' of humanitarian aid, IRC official says
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Gizmodo
26 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Children's YouTube Influencer Ms. Rachel Plans to Have a Survivor From Gaza on Her Show
Rachel Griffin-Accurso, a children's entertainer whose YouTube show Ms. Rachel routinely garners hundreds of millions of views, has found herself at the center of controversy in recent months over her support for the children of Gaza. On her social media profiles, Griffin-Accurso has often been outspoken about her concern for the untold number of children who are being shot, blown apart, and starved to death in Gaza as a result of the Israeli government's campaign against the Palestinians. Now, she tells the Washington Post that she plans to have 3-year-old Rahaf Saed, a young survivor of an Israeli airstrike, on her program. Saed, a double amputee, lost both of her legs in an Israeli airstrike last summer. Griffin-Accurso recently posted a video of herself and Saed on her Instagram, in a preview of the upcoming episode. 'There are so many pictures and videos of babies and people that are skin and bones that don't have medical conditions,' the YouTuber recently wrote on Instagram. 'All of our religions say to care for the sick, the poor, the oppressed, the 'least of these.' May every child, sick or not, be fed, loved and treated with dignity.' For her outspoken concern for the dying and mutilated hordes of children in Gaza, Griffin-Accurso has inspired the ire of many pro-Israel and Jewish advocacy groups, one of which has accused her of spreading Hamas propaganda. In April, the group StopAntisemitism labeled Griffin-Accurso its 'Antisemite of the Week,' and lobbied the Trump Justice Department to investigate whether she is acting as a paid foreign agent. '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 a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi. The group presented no evidence that the YouTube host has engaged in any wrongdoing and Accurso called the allegations 'false, hurtful and absurd.' Accurso also explained to the Post how the backlash she received from her support for Gazan children had impacted her: 'It broke my heart that people would be like, 'You don't care about Jewish kids because you did this,'' she says. 'I was in a lot of pain, because I just didn't understand. And now I am definitely speaking out, saying — if you care deeply about one group of kids, it does not mean that you don't care about other groups of kids. That's not fair, and it's not right to say that.' She didn't stop posting about Gaza; she also continued to make statements condemning antisemitism and expressing grief for Israeli families whose children and loved ones were taken hostage by Hamas. 'I just felt led to keep going,' she says. 'I have this platform. Kids gave me this platform, and I want to use this platform for kids.' The starvation crisis in Gaza has drawn criticism from governmental groups and a sea of critics, many of whom have labelled the Israeli government's policies as 'genocidal.' Even two of Israel's own rights groups recently concluded that the government's policies amount to genocide. Of course, there are still some people who just can't be convinced that the destruction of Gaza and tens of thousands of its inhabitants is a big deal. Perhaps the simple, kind nature of a children's show could help them open their minds.
Associated Press
28 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Slovenia bans arms trade with Israel over its actions in Gaza
LJUBLJANA, Sovenia (AP) — Slovenia has announced that it will ban the import, export and transit of all weapons to and from Israel in response to the country's actions in Gaza. Slovenia, which often criticized Israel over reported atrocities in Gaza, called the ban, announced late Thursday, 'the first such move by a European Union member state.' Early in July, Slovenia banned two far-right Israeli ministers from entering the country, accusing them of inciting 'extreme violence and serious violations of the human rights of Palestinians' with 'their genocidal statements.' In June 2024, Slovenia's parliament passed a decree recognizing Palestinian statehood, following in the steps of Ireland, Norway and Spain. Tiny Slovenia has almost no arms trade with Israel and the decision to ban weapons trade with Israel is mainly a diplomatic message meant to step up pressure as international outrage over Israel's conduct and images of starvation in Gaza grows. Last year, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government suspended exports of some weapons to Israel because they could be used to break international law. Spain says it halted arms sales to Israel in October 2023. The Netherlands has also cracked down on weapons trade with Israel, and there are court cases in France and Belgium around weapons trade with Israel, but none of the three has announced a blanket ban on all trade and transit similar to what Slovenia announced Friday. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob has said on multiple occasions that Slovenia would act unilaterally in the absence of concerted EU action, the state STA news agency reported. 'The EU is currently incapable of completing this task due to internal discord and disunity,' the government press release said. 'The result thereof is shameful: People in Gaza are dying because they are systematically denied humanitarian aid. They are dying under rubble, without access to drinking water, food and basic health care.'
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Wisconsin Republican faces angry town hall over Trump agenda
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) was heckled and booed during a Thursday town hall in his district over a slate of GOP policies, including immigration, the 'big, beautiful bill,' and President Trump's tariffs. Steil faced particular criticism of the administration's aggressive deportation campaign, drawing jeers from the crowd as he attempted to answer. 'What I view is the moral hazard created by the Biden administration by allowing the U.S.-Mexico border to remain unsecure,' he began, before pausing and shrugging his shoulders as the audience began to boo. An audience member later in the town hall referred to Alligator Alcatraz, the recently constructed detention center in the Florida Everglades, as a 'concentration camp.' Other audience members went after Steil for being too closely aligned with Trump. 'I am so disappointed in how you represent us, as the citizens of Walworth County. Southeast Wisconsin is not represented by you,' one man said. 'President Trump seems to run southeast Wisconsin, through you.' The event's moderator stepped in at multiple points to attempt to quiet the crowd, CNN reported, and called out a specific audience member for being 'very obnoxious and very disrespectful.' Angry voters at GOP town halls also made headlines during the House's last recess in March, with constituent ire often focused on cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The backlash escalated to a point where House Republican leaders urged their members to avoid live, in-person town halls. Republicans have also accused Democrats of organizing the public pushback. Steil also faced questions about Trump's tariff policies as new, elevated rates were set to kick in Friday (the town hall took place before the president announced a series of new tariffs would go into effect next week). 'I would like to know what dire economic circumstances put Trump in position of throwing tariffs on over 190 countries,' one voter said, drawing cheers and clapping from the audience. Steil defended the policies as forcing other countries to treat the U.S. fairly in trade. Steil, who represents a district just south of Milwaukee once held by former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R), wrote on X after the 'listening session' that he was committed to holding future events. 'Despite a handful of individuals attempting to disrupt the discussion, we had a great dialogue about the issues that matter most,' he wrote. Last week, Steil was the target of a demonstration in which a group of elderly protesters left what appeared to be a cardboard coffin in front of his home, chastizing him for supporting the 'big, beautiful bill.' Democrats have hoped to use the massive legislation package, which cuts Medicaid and other social services along with extending tax cuts, as a cudgel against Republicans in the midterms.
