Kids’ YouTube sensation Ms. Rachel, known off-screen as Rachel Griffin Accurso, has landed in hot water over a social media misstep that’s spiraling into a full-blown controversy.
Rachel Griffin Accurso, who boasts over 18 million YouTube subscribers as Ms. Rachel, is under fire for liking an Instagram comment calling for America to be “free from the Jews,” later claiming it was an accidental tap while scrolling.
The New York Post reported that she then engaged with a pro-Hamas account suggesting a setup by Jewish or pro-Israel groups, prompting backlash from civil rights and Jewish organizations as well as calls for Mayor Zohran Mamdani to distance himself from her due to her role on his inauguration committee and her history of Gaza-related posts.
Critics argue that Ms. Rachel’s response to the incident—dubbing it a simple mistake—falls short of a genuine apology.
The controversy began when Ms. Rachel posted a screenshot on Instagram with a note reading, “Free Palestine, Free Sudan, Free Congo, Free Iran,” which drew the offensive comment she later liked.
She insisted on Wednesday that she meant to hide the comment, not endorse it, but her follow-up interaction with thepalestinenewsnetwerk, an account tied to questionable influencers, only fueled the fire.
Commenting “Oooooo00000hhhhh” to a claim by thepalestinenewsnetwerk that the original antisemitic remark was a trap set by pro-Israel forces, Ms. Rachel seemed to entertain a troubling narrative.
That kind of rhetoric, paired with her history of nearly 50 posts about Gaza’s children while largely ignoring conflicts in Ukraine or Sudan, has led groups like StopAntisemitism to label her language as aligned with Hamas narratives.
The watchdog group has even nominated her for “Antisemite of the Year” last year and now urges Mayor Mamdani to reconsider her spot on his inauguration committee.
Liora Rez, founder of StopAntisemitism, didn’t hold back, stating, “Ms. Rachel doesn’t answer the criticism, she cries and plays the victim.”
Rez’s point cuts to the core—dodging accountability while pleading humanity isn’t the leadership expected from someone tied to a public official’s circle.
Similarly, Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, a former CUNY trustee, criticized her in December, telling The Post she spreads falsehoods about Jews, calling her actions a disgrace.
Ms. Rachel’s track record adds context—after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, her initial silence followed by anti-Israel content drew scrutiny.
Collaborations with figures like Motaz Azaiza, described as a terrorist sympathizer, and sitting down with Mehdi Hasan, criticized for past affiliations, haven’t helped her case.
While she claims innocence, saying she has Jewish family and friends, the pattern of one-sided activism leaves many skeptical of her “human error” defense, especially when the like and hide buttons are hardly neighbors on a screen.
