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
The Palestine Laboratory Podcast is Drop Site’s first investigative series, looking into how Israel is using Palestinian territories as a testing ground to develop its occupation-enforcing tech industry. Hosted by investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein and based on his recent book, this podcast series examines how Israel is reshaping conflict and population control globally. What happens in Palestine never stays there.
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
