Jerusalem Nas Summit brings 1,000 global tech entrepreneurs, industry leaders to Israel

The Nas Summit is being held in Jerusalem for the first time on Wednesday (today), bringing an expected 1,000 global tech entrepreneurs, innovators, digital creators and industry leaders to the Israeli capital.

Hosted at the Jerusalem Theatre, the summit aims to explore the future of artificial intelligence and digital media, as well as opportunities for coexistence and cooperation in the Middle East.

Representatives from approximately 150 startups and technology companies are expected to attend, and the summit will feature panel discussions, networking opportunities and professional conversations.

The event will bring together local and international entrepreneurs, with featured speakers including Eyal Waldman, founder of tech company Mellanox; Alex Bouaziz, co-founder and CEO of Deel; Professor Yoav Shoham, founder of AI21 Labs; and Cliff Weitzman, founder and CEO of Speechify.

Arab Israeli entrepreneur and content creator Nuseir Yassin, founder and CEO of Nas Daily, established the Nas Summit. The first event was held in Dubai in 2023, following the normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Since then, it has been held in cities around the world, including Singapore, Los Angeles, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Mumbai.

Yassin has described Jerusalem as the ideal location for an event that connects the past with the future.

“Jerusalem is where the past meets the future, so it is the perfect place for this conversation. On November 11, we are bringing 1,000 creators, founders, and leaders together in one room, not just to talk about AI and media, but to meet each other, build together, and understand the future of this region. That is what the Nas Summit has always been about: bringing people together,” Yassin stated.

The summit will also feature an interfaith discussion highlighting Jerusalem’s role as a meeting point for different religions and communities. Participants in the coexistence discussion include Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen, Imam Imad Al Mastrik, Dr. Michael A. Stevens and Bhante Ananda Mangala.

Yassin, 34, grew up in the Galilee in northern Israel and has built a global following of more than 68 million people across his social media platforms. A supporter of the two-state solution, he has also publicly defended Israel.

While critical of the Netanyahu government’s policies, Yassin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) last month that he views anti-Zionism as indistinguishable from antisemitism.

“I do believe anti-Zionism is a form of antisemitism,” Yassin stated, dismissing Israel critics who deny that anti-Zionism is Jew-hatred. He described Zionism as “the most vanilla thing in the world – a group of people wanting a place to live,” adding that many of the Jewish state’s critics “just really don’t like Jews.”

When asked why a Muslim Arab entrepreneur like him supports Israel, Yassin argued that “the success of Israel and the Jewish people is also my success as an Israeli citizen.”

Yassin also said the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack strengthened his Israeli identity.

“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,” he said.

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