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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Palestinian filmmaker and journalist, Yousef Alhelou receives a warm welcome to Derry.
Palestinian filmmaker and journalist, Yousef Alhelou has received a warm welcome at the weekly, Friday night Bridgil for Palestine at Derry's Peace Bridge organised by Derry-Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Mr Alhelou is in the city for the screening of his unique personal film 'The Phoenix of Gaza: A City Lost to Genocide' in The Nerve Centre on Friday evening.
He is also speaking at an event in The Museum of Free Derry hosted by the Bloody Sunday Trust at 2pm on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Speaking to The Derry News, Yousef Alhelou said his message was that Derry people should be proud of themselves.
Weekly Derry Bridgil welcomes Palestinian filmmaker & journalist, Yousef Alhelou - @DerryNow digital report thread.
— Catherine McGinty (@CathMcGin_Tea) April 4, 2025
Palestinian filmmaker & journalist, Yousef Alhelou (@YousefAlhelou) received a warm welcome at the weekly, Friday night Bridgil for Palestine at Derry's Peace… pic.twitter.com/iMpHJYRKH4
He added: "I am proud for you because you are on the right side of history.
"I chose Ireland as the first country to screen my film because of the similarities because of the struggle against colonialism.
"So, keep up the good work. You are making a change and people in Gaza have seen your activism. I share all the stuff on my Instagram - although my one million [followers] account has been suspended but we never give up.
"Also, my other message is that you keep the pressure on your officials because the freedom of the irish people is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians and if you are neutral in situations of injustice then you choose the side of the oppressor," said Yousef Alhelou.
Mr Alhelou added Palestinans appreciated the support of anybody, be they Muslims, Christians, Athiests, Secularists - from all walks of life.
"This is a just cause, this is a human cause, and you are going to make history," he said. "I have met so many people from Derry in Gaza."
Speaking about 'The Phoenix of Gaza', Yousef Alhelou said: "I called it The Phoenix of Gaza because Gaza is subjected from time to time to Israeli onslaughts and aggressions and after each aggression, we rebuild Gaza.
"Gaza is in a constant state of rebirth. Israel tries to destroy our history, our identity, our cultural heritage but we will rebuild what they destroy beacuse we refuse to vanish.
"I always say, I didn't ask to be born Palestinian, I just got lucky.
"All of you, I Consider you Palestinians. Your blood is Palestinian because you refuse to be silenced and this is important."
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