MS RACHEL PLEDGES $1M TO MATCH MACKLEMORE'S GAZA DONATION

YouTube children's entertainer Ms Rachel, whose full name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, has said she will donate $1m to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, matching a pledge made by the rapper Macklemore. She announced the donation in an Instagram post on Thursday, saying she would "match Macklemore's donation" and inviting "every wealthy white celebrity" to do the same and speak out. Accurso, whose channel has more than 21 million YouTube subscribers, wrote that "over 20,000 precious Palestinian children have been killed" and that children "continue to be killed every day," according to her post. She said there was "a moral obligation to use our privilege and platforms to protect children and human rights." Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, replied: "Wow. Love you so much."

Macklemore was removed as the opening act on Ed Sheeran's US tour after telling the crowd "Free Palestine" during a speech at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 4 September, having performed again the following night before leaving the tour. He said on Instagram on Wednesday that he would donate the entirety of his net earnings from the Sheeran dates, around $1m, to organisations supporting Palestinians, writing: "Palestinian lives are worth protecting." At the 5 September show, he told the audience: "Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you." His removal drew criticism from some Israel-aligned groups, and the singer Pink said he should be taken off the tour, citing a 2014 incident in which he wore a costume criticised for resembling a Jewish caricature, for which he apologised at the time.

Accurso became a global ambassador for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund in 2025 and has previously raised money for children affected by conflict, including through a 2024 fundraiser with Save the Children, and has met a young Gaza survivor named Rahaf. Pink said in an Instagram post that she was not speaking for the Israeli government but wanted to advocate for Jewish concertgoers who may have been alarmed by Macklemore's remarks. Both donations have been confirmed, though the full list of recipient organisations for Macklemore's pledge has not been detailed.