Children’s YouTube star Ms. Rachel said she “couldn’t look away” from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, especially after watching a video of a young boy who was scared following a strike.
Newsweek reached out to Ms. Rachel for comment through a form on her website.
Why It Matters
The violence, which began on October 7, 2023, has caused widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian militant group Hamas had killed about 1,200 Israelis during their attack. The war has killed over 46,000 people in Gaza, according to the local Health Ministry. Israel and agreed to a ceasefire deal to pause the devastating war in Gaza two weeks ago, with Hamas expected to release 33 hostages in exchange for Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and withdrawing troops. Israel estimates that around 90 hostages remain in Gaza.
Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, started her YouTube channel in 2019 with her husband, Broadway music director Aron Accurso. The channel was originally made as a resource for her son who had a speech delay, according to interviews she has had with People and TODAY. Her children’s music combines classic songs and nursery rhymes with her original music.
What To Know
Accurso saw a video while browsing TikTok, she told The Independent. The one-minute video, published by Al Jazeera English, shows a child who was “brought to hospital showing signs of shock.” His eyes are wide open and he mumbles in response to adults. A doctor is seen comforting the boy, rubbing his hands up and down his stomach and back as the boy hugs the man’s arms.
“I couldn’t look away from the scale and gravity of suffering I was seeing every day,” she said. “I wouldn’t be true to myself if I didn’t use that platform to speak out for every child, everywhere.”
The child said he was asleep when a strike happened and he was asked if he was scared. The doctor embraced the boy, gave him a kiss, and said, “Don’t be scared, why are you scared? The bombing is over.” The child starts crying before Al Jazeera cuts to other scenes and explains more background into the ongoing conflict.
“The look in his eyes has stayed in my mind since I saw the video,” Ms. Rachel told The Independent. “A kind doctor hugged him and told him the bombing was over and he finally broke down into tears. No child should experience that kind of fear, shock and terror.”
What To Know About Ms. Rachel’s Controversies
In May, Ms. Rachel had launched a campaign to help children in Gaza and other conflict zones. She started making videos on Cameo, a website that allows people to pay for personalized video messages of their choice, with the revenues going to the Save the Children’s emergency fund.
She had raised over $50,000 in just a couple of hours. Beyond Gaza, the money supported children in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ukraine.
“Children should never experience the horrors of war,” she said in a video. “These are grave violations of their human rights.”
People were upset with Ms. Rachel for not also including Israeli children. Save the Children’s website does not currently list a presence in Israel.
Ms. Rachel then went on to post multiple videos on the issue. She shared about how upsetting it is that people believe she doesn’t care for all children and another of her praying for both Palestinians and Israelis.
Ms. Rachel has also faced controversy in the past for hitting more serious topics, such as postpartum depression and funding for early childhood education programs. She also posted a video on Instagram and TikTok wishing viewers a happy Pride month, which led to prominent conservative voices calling for parents to boycott her videos.
What We Know About Ms. Rachel’s Net Worth
Networth Ages reports Ms. Rachel’s assets at $11 million.
What’s Next
Ms. Rachel told The Independent that she expects things to get calmer with the ceasefire deal.
The post Ms. Rachel on Her Support of Children in Gaza: ‘I Couldn’t Look Away’ appeared first on Newsweek.
