Ms. Rachel is putting money behind what she stands for. The children’s educator and YouTube star took to Instagram on Thursday to announce that she would be matching Macklemore’s $1 million donation to organizations supporting Palestinians, while calling on other wealthy celebrities to do the same. “I will match Macklemore’s donation and I invite every wealthy white celebrity to match it,” she wrote.
Her pledge comes amid the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour. Macklemore was dropped from the remaining U.S. dates after voicing support for Palestinians onstage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5, and then announced he would donate his entire $1 million in net tour earnings to six organizations working directly to support Palestinians, while also challenging New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match his donation.
Kraft has since come out with a statement that claims that Sheeran had called him and asked him to commit $2 million toward humanitarian aid "in the region," a request made before Macklemore’s public challenge went out. Kraft confirmed he would provide the matching funds, though his statement did not specify which organizations would receive the money. Combined with Macklemore’s donation, pledges toward the effort now total $5 million (assuming Kraft's and Sheeran's are going to the presumed recipient).
Kraft’s statement also alleged that Macklemore has “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery,” an allegation Macklemore had denied. Kraft added that standing with Palestinians and standing against Hamas, antisemitism, and hate “should not be mutually exclusive.”
Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, said she would direct her donation to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, where she serves as an ambassador; it’s also one of the six organizations Macklemore named for his own donation. Accurso has previously raised more than $1 million to support children in war zones including Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, and has emerged as one of the most vocal celebrities on the war in Gaza. Earlier in the week, she criticized Sheeran over Macklemore’s removal from the tour, saying he “caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows.”
You can view Ms. Rachel’s full statement below.
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