Rachel, a popular children’s YouTuber and ally of Zoran Mamdani, is facing backlash after liking a deeply offensive anti-Semitic comment on Instagram. This incident followed her support of a pro-Hamas account that seemingly blamed Jews for an ongoing scandal.
Jewish organizations are now urging Mayor Mamdani to distance himself from Rachel amid a controversy tied to an anti-Semitism watchdog group.
The influencer, known for her singing videos targeting young audiences, has already confessed to liking comments that called for America to be “free of Jews,” claiming it was a mistake on her part.
Real name Rachel Griffin Accurso, she stated on Wednesday that she “accidentally clicked the like” while scrolling through her feed, intending to click “hide” instead.
However, the Maine-native appeared to further endorse another anti-Semitic idea from a pro-Hamas Instagram account, which claimed that a pro-Israel or Jewish group had originally made the offensive comment to trap her.
“Spoiler alert: They left the comments themselves,” tweeted an account named thepalestinenewsnetwerk, which supports anti-Semitic figures like Suniko and Andrew Tate.
Rachel responded with “Oooooo00000hhhhh.”
Her lack of a more substantial apology and subsequent comments have drawn criticism from civil rights groups and Jewish organizations.
“Rachel is playing the victim, crying instead of addressing valid concerns from Jewish voters. She’s using anti-Semitism for publicity,” said Liora Rez, the founder of Stop Anti-Semitism.
She added that pushing a one-sided political narrative and labeling criticism as “bullying” isn’t true leadership, which is why Rachel shouldn’t be close to the mayor’s office.
Recently, Rachel was appointed to Mayor Mamdani’s inaugural committee and was seen with him at a pre-k center in Manhattan.
Last year, Stop Antisemitism included Rachel on its “Anti-Semites of the Year” list, criticizing her for using “Hamas-sympathetic language” and inflating casualty counts in her posts regarding the Gaza conflict.
She reportedly posted nearly 50 times about children in Gaza, while her posts about children in other conflict zones were significantly fewer.
Rachel faced sharp criticism online as well.
A conservative blog writer noted, “I ‘apologize’ for ‘accidentally’ liking a comment like ‘Free America from Jews.’ Her quick response to a pro-Hamas account makes it unbelievable,” he remarked.
Israeli activist Uri Cohen shared a manipulated photo of Rachel with a Hitler mustache and commented: “I accidentally grew one by mistake.”
A third user, identifying herself as a “Persian Jew,” criticized Rachel’s assertion that she mistakenly liked an anti-Semitic comment, pointing out the clear difference between the Like and Hide buttons.
The whole situation began when Rachel, who initially gained popularity for her kid-friendly YouTube content, began sharing politically charged messages on her Instagram. She posted a list calling for freedom for Palestine, Sudan, Congo, and Iran.
After the incident in the comments, she maintained her humanity in response, saying she would delete any anti-Semitic remarks.
Rachel, who has over 18 million YouTube subscribers, remained muted after the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, until she shared anti-Israel content.
Her inclusion in Mayor Mamdani’s inaugural committee has sparked outrage among many prominent Jewish New Yorkers.
“She’s making false accusations against Jews. It’s appalling,” Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, a former City University of New York trustee, stated recently.
Moreover, she has collaborated with a Palestinian photojournalist who has been linked to terrorist support on Instagram.
Rachel’s representative did not provide any comments as of Thursday.
