The Antony Loewenstein Podcast

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

NOTE: First released in late 2024 with the US outlet, Drop Site News, we are now re-releasing this series. For more information, see: https://www.thepalestinelaboratorypodcast.com

In this final episode, Loewenstein examines the fallout of October 7, exploring the devastating aftermath in Gaza, Israel’s live-testing of AI-enabled weapons, and the West’s support of Israel’s military expansion. Featuring eyewitness accounts from Gaza, he asks: what does a post-October 7 world look like for Palestine and Israel? The Palestine laboratory isn’t inevitable. 

Guests: Gideon Levy, Dr Khaled Dawas and Maha Hussaini

Credits
Host: Antony Loewenstein
Series Producer: Elle Marsh
Producer: Bethany Atkinson-Quinton
Production & Sound Engineering: Tim Jenkins
Field Recording: Cinnamon Nippard
Studio Recordings at 2SER: Michael Jones and Jonathan Chang
Original Music: Ara Koufax 
Music Direction: Sunless Studio
Podcast Artwork: Debashish Chakrabarty
Special Thanks: Anu Hasbold
Additional music in the series is from: Use Knife, Muqata'a & The Album Leaf

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

The Palestine Laboratory Podcast: Privatising The OccupationNOTE: First released in late 2024 with the US outlet, Drop Site News, we are now re-releasing this series. For more information, see: https://www.thepalestinelaboratorypodcast.com

In the wake of 9/11, Israel’s defense industry boomed, positioning itself as a key beneficiary of the "war on terror." Loewenstein explores how private Israeli companies market their surveillance technology—tested first on Palestinians—across the globe, claiming to have the answers to address ‘global insecurity.’ In reality, it results in tighter borders, greater monitoring of refugees, and increased state surveillance. We hear from Palestinians about how these repressive tools are being used today in both Gaza and the West Bank. Can democracy exist in a society under mass surveillance? And, does it actually make us any safer?

Guests: Jez Heywood, Andrew Feinstein, Mona Shtaya, Mariam Dawas

Credits
Host: Antony Loewenstein
Series Producer: Elle Marsh
Producer: Bethany Atkinson-Quinton
Production & Sound Engineering: Tim Jenkins
Field Recording: Cinnamon Nippard
Studio Recordings at 2SER: Michael Jones and Jonathan Chang
Original Music: Ara Koufax 
Music Direction: Sunless Studio
Podcast Artwork: Debashish Chakrabarty
Special Thanks: Anu Hasbold
Additional music in the series is from: Use Knife, Muqata'a & The Album Leaf

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

Antony Loewenstein examines how Israel’s modern identity has been shaped by a powerful founding idea: the creation of the “strong Jew.”

In this conversation, he unpacks how early Zionist leaders, including David Ben-Gurion, framed a new national identity in direct contrast to the perceived “weakness” of European Jews during the Holocaust — a framing that ignores the reality of widespread Jewish resistance under Nazi rule.

We also explore how this narrative continues to influence Israeli politics and public messaging today, particularly in moments of conflict. From government rhetoric praising national resilience, to disparities in civilian protection between Jewish and Palestinian communities, Loewenstein argues that power, perception, and storytelling remain central to how the war is understood — both inside Israel and globally.

This episode looks at:

The origins of the “strong Jew” identity in Zionist thought

The historical inaccuracies behind the “passive Holocaust victim” narrative

Media control and censorship within Israel during wartime

Unequal access to safety and infrastructure across communities

How national myths shape modern military and political behaviour

A critical conversation about identity, history, and the narratives that define nations under pressure.

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

NOTE: First released in late 2024 with the US outlet, Drop Site News, we are now re-releasing this series. For more information, see: https://www.thepalestinelaboratorypodcast.com

Investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein uncovers how the Palestine Laboratory has operated since 1948, detailing Israel’s long-standing role as a major arms dealer to some of the world’s most repressive regimes. Using declassified documents, Loewenstein traces secret deals made with dictators from Pinochet's Chile to apartheid South Africa and explores how Israel's military model is now being replicated in places like Myanmar and India. As history repeats itself, how does Israel continue to act with impunity?

Guests: Daniel Silberman and Sasha Polakow-Suransky

Credits

Host: Antony Loewenstein

Series Producer: Elle Marsh

Producer: Bethany Atkinson-Quinton

Production & Sound Engineering: Tim Jenkins

Field Recording: Cinnamon Nippard

Studio Recordings at 2SER: Michael Jones and Jonathan Chang

Original Music: Ara Koufax 

Music Direction: Sunless Studio

Podcast Artwork: Debashish Chakrabarty

Special Thanks: Anu Hasbold

Additional music in the series is from: Use Knife, Muqata'a & The Album Leaf

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

In this podcast, Antony Loewenstein examines a Middle East engulfed in war, from Lebanon and Iran to Gaza and Palestine. He explores the forces driving chaos, the profiteering around conflict, and the global politics shaping the region at this pivotal moment. An unfiltered dose of independent journalism that cuts through the noise.

Produced by: Lena Helou and Lem Zakharia

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

Investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein questions the narratives he was taught growing up in the Jewish Diaspora as he traces the origins of Israel’s military-industrial complex, examining how Israel became one of the world’s leading arms and tech exporters. When a military force essentially creates a nation, can they ever be truly separated?

Guests: Mariam Dawwas, Haim Brasheeth-Zabner and Ghada Karmi

Content warning: This episode contains references to violence, including weapons of warfare, which may distress some listeners.

Credits
Host: Antony Loewenstein
Series Producer: Elle Marsh
Producer: Bethany Atkinson-Quinton
Production & Sound Engineering: Tim Jenkins
Field Recording: Cinnamon Nippard
Studio Recordings at 2SER: Michael Jones and Jonathan Chang
Original Music: Ara Koufax 
Music Direction: Sunless Studio
Podcast Artwork: Debashish Chakrabarty
Special Thanks: Anu Hasbold
Additional music in the series is from: Use Knife, Muqata'a & The Album Leaf

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

In this episode, Antony Loewenstein discusses the real reasons behind the US and Israel’s strike on Iran, drawing on his firsthand reporting inside Iran and years of journalism across the Middle East. He unpacks the wider geopolitical agenda driving the conflict, Australia’s role in backing it, and why mainstream narratives fail to explain what’s truly at stake.

Produced by Lena Helou and Lem Zakharia

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

In this episode, Antony Loewenstein speaks with Latin America expert Dr. Rodrigo Acuña about the dramatic US kidnapping of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in January 2026 and what it reveals about the future of American power in the region.

They unpack the long history behind the crisis, including how Venezuela has been portrayed in Western media, the legacy of Hugo Chávez, and why successive US administrations have targeted governments that challenge American dominance in Latin America. Rodrigo draws on decades of research and on-the-ground experience to explain how Venezuela became a flashpoint for debates around sovereignty, oil, and global power.

The conversation explores the immediate fallout of Maduro’s removal, including sweeping concessions over Venezuela’s oil sector and what Rodrigo describes as an “occupation without troops.” They also examine contested elections, media narratives, and the broader implications of a revived Monroe Doctrine under Trump, signalling a more aggressive approach to US influence across the Western Hemisphere.

The episode widens out to look at the region more broadly, including the rise and fall of Latin America’s “pink tide,” the erosion of regional alliances, and the growing pressure on Cuba as US sanctions intensify. Ultimately, it’s a deep dive into the geopolitics of regime change, media framing, and the ongoing struggle over sovereignty in Latin America.

Produced by: Lena Helou and Lem Zakharia

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

In this episode, Antony Loewenstein examines the global surge of far-right populism and its obsessive focus on immigration and Islam across Australia, the US, the UK and Europe. Using recent comments by Pauline Hanson as a starting point, he explores how anti-Muslim rhetoric has been normalised in mainstream media and politics, and why similar language would be unthinkable if directed at other groups. The episode unpacks the deeper forces driving this shift, economic insecurity, media failure, and political opportunism, while challenging the myth that far-right figures represent “ordinary people.” Antony also traces the historical roots of these narratives, from the War on Terror to Australia’s offshore detention regime, and how Western immigration policies have influenced global approaches to borders and refugees. Ultimately, he argues that the current debate is not a calm discussion about immigration, but a broader ideological battle over multiculturalism, colonial legacy, and the kind of societies Western nations want to become.

If you value independent journalism, support this show: https://bit.ly/4rqn9wF

This week on the Antony Lowenstein Podcast, we examine the controversial Australian visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog: Why he came, how the visit was framed, and why it triggered protests across the country.

Publicly positioned as a gesture of solidarity following the Bondi massacre, Herzog’s trip quickly became a flashpoint in Australia’s already tense debate around Israel, Palestine, and media narratives. Antony unpacks Herzog’s political record and public statements, the way he is portrayed in Western media, and the broader context of Israel’s war in Gaza. He also examines how the visit was covered by Australian outlets, whose voices were amplified or ignored, and why tens of thousands of Australians took to the streets in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra.

The episode explores allegations surrounding Herzog’s rhetoric, the political calculations behind the visit, and the Australian government’s response, including questions around protest rights, policing, and the language of “social cohesion.” More broadly, this conversation looks at how diaspora communities are positioned in public discourse, and what this moment reveals about power, protest, and dissent in modern Australia.