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Several nominees include Hollywood actresses and activists who have spoken out against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians
Isabel Keanein New York Tuesday 02 December 2025 18:13 GMTComments
CloseMs.Rachel shares heartwarming moment with 3-year-old double amputee from Gaza
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A pro-Israel group that names an “Antisemite of the Year” drew sharp criticism for nominating children’s YouTube educator Ms. Rachel while omitting more far-right figures.
StopAntisemitism, a U.S.-based nonprofit known for sharing pictures of people who have criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza on social media, urged followers Sunday to vote for their top 3 candidates.
The group faced criticism over the list, particularly for its inclusion of Ms. Rachel, who has become an outspoken advocate for children in Gaza, instead of White Supremacist Nick Fuentes, who wrote on social media that he felt snubbed over his exclusion.
“Ms. Rachel is a preschool teacher who speaks up for starving children in Gaza. That is not antisemitism,” prominent Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna wrote on X. “I hope thousands will join me in standing up for her.”
Other nominees include conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, far-right conspiracy theorist Stew Peters, UFC fighter and Holocaust denier Bryce Mitchell and pro-Palestinian TikToker Guy Christensen.
open image in galleryMs. Rachel, pictured at Glamour’s Women of the Year 2025 Awards, during which she wore a dress with drawings from children in Gaza embroidered on the fabric. Ms. Rachel has been named a candidate for “Antisemite of the Year” by the group StopAntisemitism (Getty Images for Glamour)Other nominees include Desperate Housewives actress Marcia Cross, And Just Like That star Cynthia Nixon, as well as American activist Calla Walsh – all of whom have been outspoken critics of Israel’s war in Gaza.
The list also included Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur, the hosts of The Young Turks, a progressive political commentary network.
Social media users were quick to criticize the list, especially for including the popular children’s entertainer.
“Lumping in Ms. Rachel with Stew Peters is so disgusting and does more to help anti-semitism by obfuscating the difference between Israel criticisms + actual Jewish hate,” one user wrote.
Another person chimed in, writing, “Reminder that StopAntisemites nominated Ms Rachel for Antisemite of the year because she raises money for starving and burned Gazan toddlers and its a bad look for them.”
“Leaving out the self-avowed Nazi (Nick Fuentes) in exchange for celebs, children’s advocates and other activists simply because they said Israel should stop massacring children and genociding Palestinians in Gaza,” one X user added.
The social media user continued: “Half of these are antisemites, but half are not – and leaving out people who have publicly said that they are actual Nazis??? @StopAntisemites isn’t looking to stop real antisemitism. It’s looking to harass, threaten and get anyone who dared to criticize Israel’s clear violation of International law fired or harmed.”
open image in galleryWhite nationalist influencer Nick Fuentes questioned on social media why he was not featured on the list nominating an “Antisemite of the Year” (Rumble)Even Fuentes, a White Nationalist who has denied the Holocaust, seemed confused by his name not appearing on the list.
“Why wasn’t I nominated for antisemite of the year,” he wrote on X Monday.
In a follow-up post, StopAntisemitism stated that it does not nominate individuals more than once and has previously nominated Fuentes.
“While he was a finalist a few years back, his absence from this year’s cycle does not erase his antisemitism. Rather, it allows us to focus attention on other individuals who are spreading hate,” the group wrote.
StopAntisemitism, which has more than 300,000 followers on X, was founded in 2018 in “response to increasing antisemitic violence.” Since the Israel-Hamas war began in 2023, the group has taken to sharing social media profiles and employment details of people it identifies as antisemites.
open image in galleryStopAntisemitism said Carlson “has built a career turning extremist dog whistles into broadcast-ready talking points, legitimizing voices that traffic in Holocaust revisionism, conspiracy, and hate” (Getty)Advocates of the group say they have been able to spot neo-Nazis and Holocaust deniers. However, some social media users feel the group disproportionately focuses on Muslim people, pro-Palestinian actions and non-prominent individuals, according to The Times of Israel.
StopAntisemitism has shared several posts on X explaining why some of the candidates were nominated this year.
“From downplaying white supremacy to promoting the antisemitic ‘great replacement’ theory, Carlson has built a career turning extremist dog whistles into broadcast-ready talking points, legitimizing voices that traffic in Holocaust revisionism, conspiracy, and hate,” the group wrote.
Another post dedicated to Marcia Cross notes the actress “has traded her on-screen career for a disturbing online campaign targeting Israel and Jewish people.”
In October, StopAntisemitism deemed Cynthia Nixon an “antisemite of the week,” over her boycotting Israeli film institutions and criticism of the war in Gaza.
open image in galleryActress Cynthia Nixon speaks as she announces a hunger strike calling for a ceasefire in Gaza outside the White House on November 27, 2023 (Getty Images)The actress, however, has explained her activism, telling The View in 2023, “I am the mother of two Jewish children whose grandparents are Holocaust survivors.”
“And my oldest son, in particular, he really has been reaching out to my wife and I and asking us — imploring us, really — to say, ‘Use your voice to affirm as loudly as you can that ‘never again’ means ‘never again’ for anyone.”
Earlier this year, the group raised alarms over Ms. Rachel, noting on its website that she shared content “echoing Hamas-aligned language.”
A former child educator from Maine, Ms. Rachel, whose full name is Rachel Accurso, has built an audience of nearly 15 million subscribers on YouTube with her mix of educational videos and songs for young children. She has also become a fierce advocate for the children suffering in Gaza, and previously told The Independent she was motivated to speak out after seeing videos and images of children being killed, injured and malnourished on social media.
“I couldn’t look away from the scale and gravity of suffering I was seeing every day,” Ms. Rachel said in January.
open image in galleryMs. Rachel had a heartwarming moment with a child from Gaza on her show (Ms Rachel)“I know how crucial the first few years are for brain development and the lifelong effects trauma and malnutrition have on the brain. It’s a failure of humanity to deny children food, water, medical care, shelter and education, and to not protect children from violence,” she added.
The educator has also featured a child from Gaza on her show, and recently wore a custom gown embroidered with drawings from children in Gaza to Glamour’s Women of the Year 2025 Awards.
The Independent has reached out to Ms. Rachel for comment.
Last year’s “Antisemite of the Year” winner was far-right pundit and conspiracy theorist Candace Owens. Winners in years past include Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, rapper Kanye West and an executive at Ben & Jerry’s.
In a statement to The Independent, StopAntisemitism said, "Nearly every week, StopAntisemitism names an Antisemite of the Week. We determine the annual top 10 based on follower and press engagement we get on the Antisemite of the Week features throughout the year."
“Actors and other celebrities tend to attract a lot of attention, as they should given their outsized role in shaping the culture. Regarding Ms. Rachel, specifically, many parents were shocked and horrified to learn about her Jew-hatred, and we received countless messages from parents who were upset but nonetheless grateful to be alerted to her inappropriate actions."
“As for the reprehensible Nick Fuentes, we have been monitoring his antisemitism and at the forefront of acting against him since 2019. He was a finalist several years ago and we do not recycle candidates from year to year. His absence from this year’s cycle in no way erases his antisemitism. Rather, it allows us to focus attention on other individuals who are spreading hatred and bigotry."
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