Scholar challenges Ms Rachel’s Gaza messaging as antisemitism surges globally

In caller days, a funny and profoundly symbolic infinitesimal has unfolded online — what immoderate person jokingly called "the conflict of the Rachels."

On 1 broadside is "Miss Rachel," a YouTube property with millions of followers, whose caller societal media posts astir Gaza person gone viral, generating tremendous engagement and affectional response. On the different is me: an educator, a student of Zionism and Israel, and idiosyncratic who has spent her vocation reasoning astir however narratives astir Jews and Israel signifier the motivation imaginativeness of our society.

The opposition is not personal. But it is instructive.

Miss Rachel’s level is extraordinary. Her assemblage includes parents, teachers, and young children who spot her arsenic a root of safety, warmth and motivation clarity. That spot is precisely what makes her caller governmental engagement truthful consequential. When influencers with specified scope participate analyzable geopolitical conflicts, their framing matters. Their omissions matter. And adjacent their casual interactions — their "likes," reposts, and endorsements — matter.

YOUTUBE STAR MS RACHEL EMOTIONALLY APOLOGIZES FOR LIKING ANTISEMITIC COMMENT, SAYS IT WAS AN ACCIDENT

Ms. Rachel is pictured during an quality connected the "TODAY" amusement connected Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

Over the past months, Miss Rachel has progressively utilized her level to beforehand a singular communicative astir the warfare successful Gaza, 1 that emphasizes Palestinian suffering portion mostly omitting the discourse of Hamas terrorism, the Oct. 7 massacre, and the hostage crisis. More troubling still, she has engaged with online rhetoric that galore Jews acquisition not arsenic governmental critique, but arsenic delegitimization and dehumanization.

When a nationalist fig affirms oregon interacts with connection that targets Jews arsenic a group, adjacent indirectly, it does not beryllium successful a vacuum. It becomes portion of a broader taste ecosystem successful which antisemitism is progressively normalized, excused, reframed arsenic "activism," and made socially acceptable.

We indispensable beryllium exceptionally clear: criticism of Israeli argumentation is morganatic and indispensable successful immoderate antiauthoritarian society. Debate, dissent, and protestation are captious tools for motivation accountability. But erstwhile disapproval slides into rhetoric that erases Jewish history, denies Jewish peoplehood, oregon echoes exclusionary language, it ceases to beryllium governmental critique and becomes thing acold older and much dangerous.

ANTISEMITISM: FACE IT. FIGHT IT. FINISH IT

Rachel Griffin-Accurso attends the 2025 Glamour Women of the Year Awards astatine The Plaza Hotel successful New York City connected Nov. 4, 2025. Ms. Rachel wore a formal embroidered with children’s drawings from Gaza, featuring Palestinian emblem colors, watermelons and olive branches. Watermelons are commonly utilized successful anti-Israel protests, including connected societal media and astatine pro-Palestinian demonstrations. (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

This is wherever the irony of the "two Rachels" becomes meaningful.

One Rachel represents the powerfulness of wide power without humanities grounding. The different represents the slow, often unglamorous enactment of education: teaching individuals how antisemitism mutates, however connection travels, however narratives signifier belonging and exclusion.

And this is the deeper issue- if immoderate influencer had engaged with contented perceived arsenic hostile toward different number group, the backlash would beryllium swift and unequivocal. Sponsors would respond. Media outlets would request accountability. Platforms would intervene.

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When it comes to Jews, however, the effect is often muted. Antisemitism is treated arsenic ambiguous. Jews are told to beryllium little sensitive. The rhetoric is excused arsenic "just politics."

Memorials astatine the tract of the Oct. 7 Hamas panic onslaught connected the Supernova euphony festival adjacent Kibbutz Re'im, Israel, connected Monday, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images )

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This treble modular is not accidental. It is portion of a agelong past successful which Jewish vulnerability is minimized, Jewish fearfulness is dismissed, and Jewish individuality is treated arsenic uniquely negotiable.

Today, we are witnessing the consequences. Antisemitism is rising globally. Synagogues necessitate equipped guards. Jews are murdered astatine a Hanukkah gathering successful Australia, extracurricular a synagogue in the U.K. connected the Jewish High Holidays, astatine a gathering for the hostages successful Boulder, extracurricular the Capital Jewish Museum successful D.C. synagogues are burnt down. We present person parents thinking twice earlier letting their children deterioration disposable Jewish symbols successful public.

In this climate, power is not neutral. And soundlessness is not harmless.

The Jewish contented teaches america to wrestle with complexity, to prosecute justness and to defender quality dignity — including our ain and that of others. It demands motivation seriousness, not slogans. Education, not outrage. Responsibility, not performative activism.

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So possibly the existent "battle of the Rachels" is betwixt 2 models of nationalist engagement: One rooted successful scope without depth. The different successful extent without spectacle. The question is which 1 we, arsenic a society, take to reward.