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

Transcript available at dropsitenews.com