Glamour magazine has celebrated two prominent advocates of Palestinian liberation in their Women of the Year issue:
Both anti-genocide advocates, children’s educator Ms. Rachel Accurso and actress Rachel Zegler are featured in Glamour’s “Women of the Year” issue, celebrating voices using their platforms to champion compassion, justice, and global awareness. pic.twitter.com/ZEk09ERyXN
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 27, 2025
Both have faced significant criticism for their anti-genocide stance. As such, this celebration highlights that the tide is turning on Palestinian liberation.
Ms. Rachel
Ms. Rachel is a children’s entertainer who we’ve reported on in the past. In their piece celebrating her, Glamour write:
The success of Ms. Rachel is a rare and curious thing. During the past few decades, most of our early-childhood icons have been animated animals or brightly colored puppets—Barney, Peppa, Elmo, Bluey. Not since Mister Rogers has an actual adult human managed to break into that particular canon of cultural fixtures, becoming a household name and shaping the imaginations of millions while still speaking joyfully and directly to the youngest amongst us.
They add:
most recently, she’s become one of the loudest American voices for the children in Gaza. Fundraising, posting, and bringing Rahaf, a three-year-old double amputee, onto her show. Admirers from UNICEF leaders to Hollywood actors have praised her for saying what many politicians won’t. Critics, meanwhile, accuse her of politicizing childhood. She doesn’t flinch. “I have to just remind myself that kids’ lives are more important than my reputation,” she tells me.
Ms. Rachel is still fighting to support Rahaf and others like her, as she explained herself just two days ago:
Ms Rachel explains how hard it was to find a space that would welcome 3-year-old Rahaf, because she’s Palestinian.
“The person who owns the place was basically saying, because this little girl is like you, she’s not welcome here” pic.twitter.com/Ua3zJ8GENs
— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) October 26, 2025
Yesterday, Ms. Rachel shared that she attempted to rent three venues in New York to celebrate Rahaf’s birthday, but was turned away three times. She made sure to state that there would be no press, no photos, no videos, and that she would rent out that whole venue for the… pic.twitter.com/wYIHHw09S4
— WearThePeace (@WearThePeaceCo) October 27, 2025
Please watch this Ms. Rachel video – yes the stories of rejection are heartbreaking and enraging, but for me, the saddest part was Ms Rachel hiding the identity of the wonderful and welcoming business to spare them the backlash for…hosting a double amputee Palestinian toddler. https://t.co/7fk8Jr8W8Z
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) October 26, 2025
When asked what she hoped to achieve with her activism, Ms. Rachel told Glamour:
I’ve seen several people comment something similar, which is seeing Rahaf made me realize that the kids in Gaza are like my kids. I didn’t know just how dehumanized Palestinians are before I started doing this work. I did have a Palestinian mom say on a Zoom really early, “Thank you for seeing our children as human,” and I just couldn’t believe she had to thank me for that. It’s just how everyone should see every child in this world. I don’t know how we can value one child’s life over another child’s life in this world. They’re all equal and we just need to treat them all like the precious, beautiful gift they are.
Ms. Rachel has continuously demanded that her government provide the Palestinians with much-needed aid:
Billie Eilish tags members of congress in Ms. Rachel’s video, urging congress to sign a letter calling for baby formula, food, and humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza. pic.twitter.com/MYPUtSC9Im
— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 1, 2025
She also believes the Palestinians should receive reparations:
Ms. Rachel calling for reparations for Israel’s genocide. pic.twitter.com/2mipe0WvBR
— Assal Rad (@AssalRad) October 15, 2025
Given that Western governments – including the UK – have supported Israel’s genocide, it makes sense that we should pay to rebuild Gaza.
This is especially true given how hostile our countries are to refugees.
At the end of the day, if politicians don’t want people to come here, they need to stop blowing up their homes.
‘Antisemitism’ smear campaign
Speaking on those who have accused her of antisemitism, Ms. Rachel said:
It’s incredibly painful. Saying that I don’t care deeply about one group of children because I’m focused on children in an emergency situation isn’t right. It’s not true. My friends know who I am and God knows who I am. But nothing is going to silence me from being an advocate for children because that’s a calling, and it’s the right thing to do. And labeling people because they care deeply about all children is wrong.
In April, the widely-discredited smear group ‘Stop Antisemitism’ called on the US attorney general to investigate Ms. Rachel for her advocacy:
StopAntisemitism is calling on Attorney General Bondi to investigate if Ms. Rachel is being funded by a foreign party to push anti-Israel propaganda to skew public opinion.
Since 10/7, Ms. Rachel has transformed into an amplifier of Hamas propaganda, broadcasting to 20M+… pic.twitter.com/15bZArdX1g
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) April 8, 2025
The group didn’t explain why the US government should investigate a US citizen for criticising a foreign power – a foreign power conducting a genocide no less.
In the UK, the left has faced a similar smear campaign for supporting Palestinian liberation. It’s important to remember, though, that Ms. Rachel didn’t come at this from a position of politics; she simply wanted the killing to stop.
The fact that Israel’s backers attacked her so viciously exposed who they really are.
Featured image via CNN
