Nuseir Yassin, the Arab-Israeli creator behind the viral Nas Daily videos, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev for his “unwavering pursuit of harmony and benevolence” and his public stand “against terrorism and violence.”
The 33-year-old vlogger, who grew up in the Galilee town of Arraba, received the scroll during the university’s 55th Board of Governors Meeting on Tuesday.
Yassin, known to his tens of millions of followers for his one-minute video blogs, said the award energised his work promoting dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. “People don’t know that when you are in the middle of advocating for peace… it’s very lonely,” he said. “And in the middle of this darkness, this was a glimmer of hope… It gave me the energy needed to continue.”
Yassin has become more vocal since the Hamas attacks of 7 October, stating: “I do not want to live under a Palestinian government… That’s where I grew up. That’s the country I want to see continue to exist so I can exist.”
Ben-Gurion University said the award recognises his courageous decision to call Israel his home, while continuing to speak out for peace and a two-state solution.
Addressing students, Yassin reflected on the generational trauma surrounding the founding of Israel in 1948, and challenged them to imagine a future free from inherited pain. “What number is on your forehead,” he asked, “and do you have the courage to erase it?”
