‘Anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism,’ Nas Daily founder Nuseir Yassin says

Nuseir Yassin, the Arab-Israeli social media entrepreneur behind “Nas Daily,” told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) that “anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism” while speaking at a conference on combating antisemitism in Denver, Colorado, over the weekend.

The 34-year-old, who grew up in the Lower Galilee town of Arraba, has amassed a global following of more than 68 million across his social media platforms.

He has made what he describes as “misguided hate” directed at Jews and Israel one of his central goals.

Asked by the JTA why a nonreligious Muslim of Palestinian origin would defend the Jewish state, Yassin replied that “the success of Israel and the Jewish people is also my success as an Israeli citizen.”

“I’m not a fan of the Israeli government and I’m not here to defend it, just like I’m not a fan of many governments,” he added. However, he argued that criticism of the government “is absolutely fueled by antisemitism,” adding that “I do believe anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism.”

Yassin described Zionism as “the most vanilla thing in the world – a group of people wanting a place to live,” arguing that many of Israel’s critics “just really don’t like Jews.”

He also discussed how the Hamas-led massacre of Oct. 7, 2023, changed the way he identifies himself. Before the attack, he described himself as “Palestinian-Israeli”; afterward, he began identifying as an “Israeli of Palestinian origin.”

“I could not relate to the extremism that I saw, and I wanted to distance myself from it without erasing my identity connected to it,” Yassin said. “I’m not just Israeli because I think it removes a little bit of spice, but I’m also not just Palestinian anymore. A lot of Israeli culture is inside me. I never agree with people. I’m always disagreeable. That’s Israeli. I speak up.”

Yassin’s perspective has developed alongside an unconventional personal and professional journey. He was the first to study in the United States and graduated from Harvard University in 2014 with a degree in economics. He acknowledged that he didn't make his first Jewish friend until his time at Harvard.

After working for a software company in New York for two years, he launched the “Nas Daily” Facebook page, posting one-minute videos documenting his travels and encounters with communities around the world. The project eventually grew into Nas Company, a business that provides platforms for solo entrepreneurs to build and monetize their online ventures.

In 2025, Yassin received an honorary degree from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in recognition of his advocacy for Israeli-Palestinian coexistence. In August, he also joined the advisory board of the Genesis Prize Foundation, which annually recognizes Jewish individuals for their achievements.

Yassin also addressed religious extremism and the debate over Palestinian freedom, rejecting the idea that criticism of Hamas or extremism means he is disconnected from his Arab identity.

“I do not relate to hundreds of men on the street shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’” Yassin told the JTA, adding that he is “not a weird Arab for saying this” and that “the entire country of the UAE says the same thing.”

He argued that calls to “Free Palestine” need to be more specific about what they seek to achieve.

“We should all be ‘Free Palestine’ – but from what?” Yassin asked. “We disagree on the solution, not on the problem. We don’t want suffering. Nobody wants suffering."

He went on to say that he is a "free-Palestine-from-Hamas guy" and continued to explain that "Just free Palestine is not an answer. I’m free-Palestine-from-extremism. The Israel-Palestine conflict is not a big deal when you compare it to everything else that’s happening on planet Earth."

"The only thing that makes it a big deal is that we, as Palestinians, have the perfect enemy…the most hated type of enemy, which is the Jews," Nas said.