The stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris promoted a fundraiser for children in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Ella Emhoff, the daughter of First Gentleman Doug Emhoff, shared an "urgent relief for Gaza’s children” fundraiser on her Instagram, where she has roughly 323,000 followers. The fundraiser was created by the Ohio-based nonprofit the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund.
“In light of recent violence that has left hundreds dead and thousands injured and homeless in Gaza, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) is mobilizing our resources with unwavering determination,” the group wrote in a description of the fundraiser on Instagram. “Our urgent humanitarian response aims to address the immediate need of Gaza’s population, providing vital medical care through volunteer missions and treatment, and essential supplies to those who have been tragically impacted by this devastating bombings [sic].”
“Through our dedicated humanitarian efforts, we will again bring comfort and relief to those in desperate need, fostering a sense of hope and solidarity in the face of adversity,” added the nonprofit.
The PCRF said it operates “a wide variety of programs” to provide “free medical care to children in the Middle East, regardless of their nationality or religion.”
To date, the fundraiser has generated more than $8.2 million dollars and aims to raise $10 million.
It is not clear if the artist and model, who was born in 1999, donated to the fundraiser herself, noted The New York Post.
According to ProPublica, the PCRF raised over $21 million in 2021. The organization has had tax-exempt status since May of 1992.
Emhoff and Harris have spoken publicly about their relationship, describing their bond in a positive light during interviews.
In a 2019 article for Elle written while she was campaigning for the 2020 presidency, Harris revealed Emhoff and her brother, Cole, nicknamed her “Momala” and welcomed her into their family.
“They are brilliant, talented, funny kids who have grown to be remarkable adults,” Harris wrote of her stepchildren. “I was already hooked on Doug, but I believe it was Cole and Ella who reeled me in.”
First Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, has been tasked with addressing antisemitism by the Biden-Harris administration since his wife took office. He was tapped to host a White Hosue roundtable discussion with Jewish leaders in December of 2022. The event was organized, in part, as a reaction to rapper Kanye West’s comments about Adolf Hilter during a live interview with Alex Jones.
“Emhoff is the first Jewish person among the top four officials — the president, vice president and their spouses — in the executive branch of government, and he has become increasingly outspoken about growing bias toward adherents of the Jewish faith, and hate at large, in the U.S.,” reported Politico.
He also formally launched the White House’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism strategy in May.
Mr. Emhoff spoke out against the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
“I am honored to be with all of you today as an American, as a patriot who loves this country, but also as a Jew. And like all Jews, I feel a deep, visceral connection to Israel and its people,” Emhoff said in a statement, per Breitbart.
“We witnessed a mass murder of innocent civilians. It was a terrorist assault, and there is never any justification for terrorism. There are no two sides to this issue,” he added. “Our President and Vice President are making sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself. We are grateful for their leadership and support for Israel at this exceptionally difficult time.”
