Latest news with #Hamas-like
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Children have human rights": YouTuber Ms. Rachel speaks after pro-Israel group reported her to DOJ
Children's educational content creator Ms. Rachel broke her silence to defend the 'human rights' of Palestinian children on Thursday, a week after a pro-Israel group urged the Department of Justice to investigate her over posts about the war in Gaza. 'Children have human rights…Standing up for children, especially those who are most vulnerable, is the right thing to do,' Accurso posted on Thursday. 'All children have the right to food, water, medical care and education. All children should be protected from violence.' The popular YouTuber, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, has racked up billions of views with her mellow, early childhood-focused content. However, her advocacy on social media for the tens of thousands of children impacted by the war caused an uproar. The pro-Israel advocacy group StopAntisemitism claimed Accurso had become a 'mouthpiece for Hamas' in an April 7 post. StopAntisemitism escalated their attacks last week last week, when director Liora Rez penned a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding the DOJ investigate 'whether or not Ms. Rachel is being remunerated to disseminate Hamas-aligned propaganda to her millions of followers.' '130 more Palestinian children killed. Over 15,000 Palestinian children killed total. Stop bombing children,' one post flagged by StopAntisemitism read. The group accused the influencer of 'incorporating Hamas-like propagated images and stories into her content' and said pictures of starving and injured children shared by Accurso could be misleading. Accurso's post was her first statement on the potential investigation from the Trump administration, and came just days after the birth of her second child, Susannah. Accurso has faced far-right backlash online in the past. She stood behind a post celebrating Pride Month last year, citing her religious beliefs in her own defense. 'There are so many reasons I stand strong in love. I stand with everyone. That's who I am, and the love back and the 'God bless' if you disagree is genuine,' she said last June.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Group calls on Bondi to probe children's YouTuber for Gaza-Israel posts
(NewsNation) — A privately-funded advocacy organization is calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate popular children's YouTuber Ms. Rachel over posts about the war in Gaza. Rachel Griffin Accurso, who goes by Ms. Rachel to her more than 14 million subscribers, makes videos for children for speech therapy and learning preschool skills. The group StopAntisemitism 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. Stocks slightly higher after markets open mixed 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.' 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. IRS deadline for $1,400 stimulus checks approaching The group has argued that 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. StopAntisemitism was formed in October 2018 by social media influencer Liora Rez. The organization has been criticized for its name-and-shame approach and has been accused of doxxing (searching for and publishing private or identifying information about a particular individual on the internet, typically with malicious intent) individuals. In 2024, the Washington Post revealed that more than 36 people had been fired from their jobs after the group allegedly exposed antisemitic comments. NewsNation affiliate The Hill contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Group calls for investigation into Ms. Rachel over posts about Gaza children
(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. Surgery nightmare: Hospital admits mistake after failed cancer surgery attempt 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. Las Vegas veterinarian missing after apology for kicking horse in head 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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Group calls on Bondi to investigate Ms. Rachel for Gaza-Israel groups
StopAntisemitism, an advocacy organization, reportedly 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, the New York Post reported. 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 Hill has reached out to StopAntisemitism to obtain a copy of the letter, but according to the Post's reporting, the group said Accurso has been 'incorporating Hamas-like propagated images and stories into her content.' 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. 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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
08-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Group calls on Bondi to investigate Ms. Rachel for Gaza-Israel groups
StopAntisemitism, an advocacy organization, reportedly 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 if she has been paid to spread propaganda for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in Gaza, The New York Post reported. 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 Hill has reached out to StopAntisemtisim to obtain a copy of the letter, but according to the Post's reporting, the group said Accurso has been 'incorporating Hamas-like propagated images and stories into her content.' In a post on 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 both cystic fibrosis and starvation. 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.
