In this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, we sit down with investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein to talk about how for decades, Israel used its occupation of Palestinians as a testing ground for new weaponry, which it then packages and sells to governments around the world.

In fact, Loewenstein argues that since its inception, Israel built its economy around military and surveillance technology, exporting it to some of the world’s most repressive regimes including Myanmar, Pinochet’s Chile and apartheid South Africa.

As the devastating war in Gaza wages on, Israeli defence contractors have already begun advertising drones, hightech firearms and robot dogs battle-tested in the field and ready to be sent abroad.

The Big Picture is produced and presented by Mohamed Hassan. It’s a weekly show about the big ideas that shape our past, present and future.

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