Star Wars Actress Links Palestine to the Death Star’s Weak Spot - Why it's a problem

Irish actress Denise Gough, known for her role as Dedra Meero in the Star Wars series Andor, recently used a Star Wars metaphor in a viral video clip to describe Palestine's role in what she calls "global anti-colonial struggles".

In the footage, she compares Palestine to the "little place you shoot through" on the Death Star—the vulnerable exhaust port exploited by rebels to destroy the Empire's superweapon in A New Hope. Gough suggests that "freeing Palestine" would act as a catalyst to "explode" the broader "Death Star" of colonialism and oppression worldwide, including in places like Sudan and Congo.

The clip appears to stem from an interview or discussion following Gough's recent trip to Judea and Samaria, where she has spoken out about "Palestinian issues: and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

It has gone viral on social media, amassing over a million views, with mixed reactions: some praise it as a powerful analogy for global solidarity, while others criticize it as flawed or ironic, noting the Death Star represents evil in Star Wars. This fits into broader discussions of political parallels in Andor, which Gough has highlighted as reflecting real-world insurgencies and occupations.

Gough's metaphor perpetuates longstanding tropes that position Jews or Israel as the central architects of global oppression.

By framing Palestine as the "exhaust port" whose "freeing" would explode the entire "Death Star" of worldwide colonialism. implying resolutions to conflicts in Sudan, Congo, and elsewhere, she reduces complex, multifaceted global issues to a singular focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, echoing conspiracy theories that blame Jews for orchestrating or sustaining international evils.

This "linchpin" narrative has historical roots in antisemitism, where Jews are depicted as a shadowy force controlling world events, and dismantling their supposed power (here symbolized by "freeing Palestine") magically fixes everything else. Critics argue it dehumanizes Israelis (predominantly Jewish) by associating them with the ultimate symbol of evil in Star Wars, the Empire's planet-destroying weapon, while ignoring Hamas's role or regional dynamics.