We’re Not Kidding with Mehdi & Friends

EXCLUSIVE: Israel is ‘Gaslighting’ Us, Says ‘Andor’ Star After Trip to Occupied West Bank

8 snips
Sep 22, 2025
Denise Gough, an award-winning Irish actor known for her role in 'Andor,' joins the conversation to discuss her advocacy for Palestine. She shares insights from her recent trip to the occupied West Bank, recounting harrowing experiences with military checkpoints and settler intimidation. Denise draws parallels between Ireland's history of occupation and current events, emphasizing the need for solidarity. The talk also explores themes of fascism, moral injury, and the power of collective action in the face of political gaslighting.
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INSIGHT

How Fascism Grows Incrementally

  • Denise Gough and Mehdi Hasan argue fascism grows slowly through banal bureaucracy, not overnight coups.
  • Small administrative normalizations and everyday office politics can enable large-scale state violence.
INSIGHT

Fictional Rebels Versus Real Resistances

  • The podcast links Andor's on-screen rebellion to real-world selective sympathies toward resistance movements.
  • Gough notes audiences cheer fictional rebels while real-life resistors are often demonized or labeled terrorists.
INSIGHT

Art Reveals Cognitive Dissonance

  • Gough highlights cognitive dissonance: people love Andor yet ignore comparable real-world injustices.
  • Her acting skills translate into advocacy by making audiences feel for real people, not just fictional characters.
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