I identified as Palestinian-Israeli, now I'm Israeli first: Nas Daily

Nuseir Yassin, renowned Arab-Israeli vlogger and online influencer, recognised by millions as the creator of the widely-followed online hub Nas Daily, made a public declaration on Monday, expressing his support for Israel amidst the ongoing conflict with Gaza.

Yassin boldly announced a significant shift in his self-identity. Once identifying as a 'Palestinian-Israeli,' he now unequivocally sees himself as an Israeli first. He articulated this change in perspective by stating, "I do not wish to reside under a Palestinian government," a sentiment he shared in a post across his community's online platforms.

He shared his personal journey of identity on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter), stating, "For the longest time, I struggled with my identity. A Palestinian kid born inside Israel. Many of my friends refuse to this day to say the word 'Israel' and call themselves 'Palestinian' only. But since I was 12, that did not make sense to me. So I decided to mix the two and become a 'Palestinian-Israeli.' I thought this term reflected who I was. Palestinian first. Israeli second."

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"But after recent events... my thoughts turned to anger. I realised that if Israel were to be 'invaded' like that again, we would not be safe. To a terrorist invading Israel, all citizens are targets. 900 Israelis died so far. More than 40 of them are Arabs. Killed by other Arabs. And even 2 Thai people died too," the post read.

"And I do not want to live under a Palestinian government," he added. "Which means I only have one home, even if I'm not Jewish: Israel. That's where all my family lives. That's where I grew up. That's the country I want to see continue to exist so I can exist."

Personal Thoughts:
(not for everyone, feel free to skip)

For the longest time, I struggled with my identity.

A Palestinian kid born inside Israel. Like…wtf.

Many of my friends refuse to this day to say the word "Israel" and call themselves "Palestinian" only.

But since I…

— Nuseir Yassin (@nasdaily) October 8, 2023

Yassin referred to the Palestinian cause and emphasised that "Palestine should exist too as an independent state." He added, "I hope to see the country thrive and become less extreme and more prosperous. I love Palestine and have invested in Palestine. But it's not my home," and concluded that "from today forward, I view myself as an 'Israeli-Palestinian.' Israeli first. Palestinian second. Sometimes, it takes a shock like this to see so clearly."

Yassin, 31, currently living in Dubai, was born in Israel's northern city of Arraba and grew up in Israel. In 2016, after completing his studies at Harvard University and working in the global hi-tech industry, he decided to leave everything and travel the world. He documented his travels on his YouTube channel Nas Daily (Nas means mankind), and it became one of the most popular channels on the platform. With tens of millions of followers, Yassin is considered one of Israel's biggest online influencers.