Rachel Griffin Accurso, better known as Ms. Rachel, is a major social media influencer with tens of millions of followers across platforms. Most recently, she was criticized by pro-Israel organizations for her advocacy and protests over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In May 2024, she launched a successful online fundraiser to support children in Gaza and other conflict-affected countries. This new initiative has given rise to intense national outrage. It flared up again when she started calling out what she refers to as genocide taking place in Gaza.
Since her vocalization of these issues, Ms Rachel has consistently highlighted the plight of Palestinian children on her social media platforms. Through gripping statistics and compelling imagery, she brings to life the dire consequences of the continued war. This highlights the US’s complicity in the urgent crisis that regional civilians are facing. Her advocacy reached new heights as Israeli airstrikes increased dramatically following Hamas’s surprise attack on October 7, 2023. This escalation increased her activism and brought further public attention to her cause. Reports tell us that tens of thousands of children have been killed or injured in Gaza because of it.
The outrage against Ms Rachel reached new heights when the New York Post called her a “Woke brainwasher” in March 2025. Unlike the other lobbyists on this list, parents could not deter her from bringing the most radical messaging into schools. In response, pro-Israel right-wingers set out to smear her, especially online, claiming that she was pushing a so-called woke agenda to erode support for Israel.
In April 2025, the heavily funded, far-right, pro-Israel nonprofit StopAntisemitism fanned the flames. They publicly called for the Department of Justice to initiate an investigation. They accuse Rachel Griffin Accurso of potentially being a foreign agent. This suspicion comes from her posts about Gazan children. This most recent accusation has poured kerosene on the heated debate around her activism.
“I care deeply for all children. Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the US – Muslim, Jewish, Christian children – all children, in every country,” expressed Ms Rachel during one of her social media broadcasts, emphasizing her commitment to children’s welfare irrespective of their backgrounds.
The criticism from right-wing influencers has not been restricted to her commentary on Gaza. This time, even more people were radicalized in Pride Month of last year when Ms Rachel received awful and hateful reactions for posting a video supporting LGBTQ+ rights. Her critics even called her “sick” for advocating for what they considered objectionable content on her “stage.”
Even with the pushback, Ms Rachel is undeterred in her goal to continue spreading awareness. In a public statement regarding her fundraiser, she asserted, “To do a fundraiser for children who are currently starving, who have no food or water, who are being killed, is human.”
Over 300 stars and other Hollywood luminaries have signed on to a new letter. They are calling out the entertainment industry’s complicity through silence on the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The letter signals a new level of alarm that the international community is failing to respond adequately to the crisis.
While Ms. Rachel continues to experience daily attacks, she still works day and night for a non-violent solution. It’s her humanitarian advocacy that receives the most acclaim and criticism. Her determination to spotlight the suffering of children in conflict zones reflects a broader dialogue about human rights and the responsibilities of public figures.