Ben-Gurion University recognizes Arab-Israeli content creator Nas Daily for his outspoken advocacy of peace and coexistence, awarding him an honorary doctorate for using his global platform to promote tolerance in the face of extremism.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) presented an honorary doctoral degree to social media star Nuseir Yassin (better known as “Nas Daily”) on Tuesday, for his deep commitment to promoting tolerance and coexistence as well as to building bridges between people everywhere.
Yassin’s one-minute vlogs (video blogs) have amassed an audience of tens of millions of people and have been viewed billions of times. The scroll that Yassin received from BGU for his honorary doctorate recognizes his “unwavering pursuit of harmony and benevolence, with appreciation for a courageous activist who calls Israel his home and repeatedly places his social capital and personal reputation on the line in his resolute stand against terrorism and violence.”
Since the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th, 2023, Yassin has vocally supported positions including the need for Israel’s existence, a two-state solution to the conflict, and freeing the Gaza Strip from the radicalism and terrorism of Hamas rule. Yassin, who was raised in an Arab-Muslim family in the Galilee-based village of Arraba, has been undeterred in expressing these views despite the risk of backlash from social media followers.
The honor from BGU served to energize Yassin’s peacebuilding work, he said in a video shared by the University.
“My solution is simple: Bring people together, not apart,” Yassin stated. “This is why we support the many Israelis who want peace, and the Palestinians who need peace. People don’t know that when you are in the middle of advocating for peace, in the middle of building bridges, in the middle of doing what’s unpopular, it’s very lonely. That’s what people don’t know. It’s not fun. And in the middle of this darkness, this was a glimmer of hope. ‘Hey, somebody appreciated the work.’ And that’s Ben-Gurion University. It gave me the energy needed to continue.”
Addressing BGU students on Wednesday, Yassin described the “number tattooed on my forehead” — 1948, the year of the State of Israel’s establishment, which many Palestinians lament as a catastrophe.
“We are all born with the number,” Yassin said. “This number is our pain, it’s our trauma, it’s our sadness. We make it our identity. But what if we could erase this number? What if we could live today without our pain from yesterday?”
That is precisely what Yassin did, committing to “no more complaining.”
“When you erase the number on your forehead, you become free — free to imagine and build any future you want,” he said, proceeding to issue the following challenge to BGU students: “What number is on your forehead and do you have the courage to erase it?”
On Tuesday, BGU honored Yassin alongside six other distinguished individuals receiving honorary doctorates from the University during its 55th Board of Governors Meeting. They include: American author Nicole Krauss, Russian singer Andrey Makarevich, Israeli-Ukrainian artist Zoya Cherkassky, Canadian-Israeli nurse and nursing advocate Prof. Judith Shamian, renowned endocrinologist Prof. Moshe Phillip, and industrialist and philanthropist Sami Sagol.
“Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is proud to confer an honorary doctorate upon seven distinguished individuals who embody the legacy of David Ben-Gurion, representing human excellence at its finest and combining exceptional achievements in academic, scientific, and creative excellence, through outstanding service to the University, or through activities of notable benefit to society and humanity as a whole,” BGU President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz said. “Their acceptance of an honorary degree from BGU reflects that honor back on to our institution and what it stands for, providing a mirror within which we hope to see a bit of ourselves. Their actions and accomplishments are an inspiration to all of us.”
Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) CEO Doug Seserman said, “This year’s honorary doctorate recipients strongly reflect Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s commitment to solving humanity’s greatest challenges through academic, creative, and scientific excellence. The honorees’ achievements give us hope and inspiration during highly challenging times.”
