Children's entertainer Ms Rachel, known to over 21 million YouTube subscribers, has committed to matching rapper Macklemore's $1 million donation to organisations aiding Palestinians. Rachel Accurso, as she is also known, stated her donation would go to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
Accurso encouraged other public figures to follow suit, writing on Instagram that there is a “moral obligation to use our privilege and platforms to protect children and human rights.” She highlighted that “Over 20,000 precious Palestinian children have been killed, and children continue to be killed every day.”
Macklemore had pledged the entirety of his earnings from Ed Sheeran’s tour to several organisations focused on the Palestinian people. This followed his removal as an opening act from Sheeran’s tour after he said “Free Palestine” on stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on 4 September.
Ed Sheeran and Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, are each donating $2 million to Palestinian relief funds. Four supporting acts, including American singer Finneas and Danish pop band Lukas Graham, have also quit the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.