Ms. Rachel, also known as Rachel Accurso, has pledged to donate $1 million US to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), matching the donation promised by Macklemore, who was removed from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour due to his pro-Palestinian comments. Rachel, an American YouTube personality and educator with over 21 million subscribers, announced her donation in an Instagram post, urging other wealthy white celebrities to follow suit and speak out against the situation in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinian children have lost their lives.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, responded to Rachel’s post with admiration. The rapper had declared on Instagram that he would donate his entire $1 million earnings from Sheeran’s tour to six organizations supporting the Palestinian cause. This decision came after he was ousted from the tour for expressing solidarity with Palestinians at a concert and advocating for peace and equality.
The removal of Macklemore from the tour was reportedly orchestrated by businessman Robert Kraft, a strong supporter of Israel, who stated that he would not tolerate hate speech at his venues. This move stirred controversy, leading to criticism of Ed Sheeran for his stance on the issue. Sheeran, in response, clarified that the decision to remove Macklemore was not his own and expressed his concerns about the conflict in the region.
Following these events, all supporting acts on Sheeran’s tour decided to quit, leaving the upcoming shows without openers. Sheeran and Kraft both pledged $2 million each towards humanitarian aid in Gaza after a challenge from Macklemore. Kraft revealed that Sheeran had approached him before the challenge and they are now working together to address the ongoing crisis in the region.