Really, Miss Rachel?! - Chronicle Online/The WORD 1/22/2026

Weekly On-line Rabbi's D'var-Torah

January 22, 2026

4 Shevet 5786

Parashat Bo

I wish Miss Rachel would stick to singing songs for little kids. Unfortunately, she can’t seem to steer clear of antisemitic controversy. Most recently, she “liked” a comment on her own Instagram post that read, “Free America from the Jews.” She later claimed that she had intended to click “hide,” but accidentally hit “like” instead. I’m no Instagram expert, but that explanation strains credibility. Still, let’s give her the benefit of the doubt.

She then posted a tearful video apology explaining that she had clicked the wrong icon. In response to that second post, an organization called Palestinian News Network (PNN)—which has a long history of promoting antisemitic rhetoric—commented that perhaps a Jewish person had written the original remark in order to entrap Miss Rachel. At that point, one might have expected her to finally use the “hide” button. Instead, she replied, “oooohhhhh,” apparently welcoming this new theory as a way to absolve herself of responsibility.

All of this followed her decision to welcome

Motaz Azaiza onto her show.Motaz Azaiza is a Palestinian “photojournalist” who refused to condemn the atrocities of October 7 and instead publicly mourned the death of Yahya Sinwar, the main architect of that massacre. He compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler by posting juxtaposed images of the two on social media. His work has been supported and promoted by UNRWA, an organization that has been shown to be infiltrated by Hamas. He also wrote on X that “a single Palestinian is worth more than a thousand Israelis.” Shortly after October 7, he left Gaza and was transported to Qatar on a military plane, where he has continued to disseminate his messaging.

By welcoming him onto her show as a “friend,” Miss Rachel gave a new platform to someone who plays a significant role in the Hamas propaganda ecosystem. In doing so, she helped normalize antisemitic and anti-Zionist narratives for an entirely new audience.

Sadly, this is just one more example of antisemitism and anti-Zionism becoming mainstream.

On Wikipedia, the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation continues to allow a radical rewriting of Middle Eastern and Jewish history, effectively erasing the Jewish people’s legitimate claims to the Land of Israel while minimizing acts of war and terrorism against Israel. (Click here for more details.)  

Closer to home, at Columbia University, the administration has approved a course entitled “Palestinian–Israeli Politics and Society,” to be taught by Professor Joseph Massad, who described the October 7 attacks as “awesome,” “remarkable,” and “striking” the very next day, while labeling Israel’s response to the massacre as “barbaric.” (Click here for the whole essay.)

I have no problem with Miss Rachel sympathizing with the children of Gaza. We all should. And of course, both Wikipedia and Columbia should teach about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. But all of these examples reflect a striking lack of balance and an unwillingness to even acknowledge the other side. The result is a manufactured reality for viewers, readers, and students in which Israel is portrayed as wholly illegitimate.

That is why more Jews and supporters of Israel need to speak up— like Deni Avdijah, the Israeli NBA player for the Portland Trail Blazers. Deni has been the target of hateful comments simply for being a Jew from Israel. This week, he issued a statement calling on people to stop the hate and educate themselves. He is absolutely right. I would only add that we must also be careful about where we get that education.

Shalom, R

RAF.