The Antony Loewenstein Podcast

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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For years, Jeffrey Epstein has been framed primarily as a lone sexual predator embedded in elite social circles. While his crimes against underage girls are real, horrific, and central to his story, this episode examines a dimension of the Epstein case that much of the mainstream media has avoided: his deep and sustained ties to Israel, Israeli intelligence, and the global surveillance and defence industry.

In this episode, investigative journalist Antony Loewenstein explores newly released documents, leaked correspondence, and long-ignored reporting that suggest Epstein operated as a key intermediary for Israeli political, intelligence, and corporate interests over decades. Drawing on reporting from Drop Site News, court documents, and historical context, the episode interrogates how Epstein accumulated immense power, wealth, and access and why his role appears to have been protected even after his criminal behaviour was widely known in elite circles.
Produced by: Antony Loewenstein, Lem Zakharia and Lena Helou
Overlay sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzagate_conspiracy_theory
https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Lucia-Osborne-Crowley-The-Lasting-Harm-9781761066566
https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/ry4ridpvyg
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kP4Vka4WUgc
https://www.dropsitenews.com/s/epstein-and-israel/archive?sort=new
https://www.dropsitenews.com/s/the-palestine-laboratory
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/modi-epstein-files-steve-bannon-india-trump-bjp
https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/jeffrey-epstein-aided-alan-dershowitz-mearsheimer-walt-israel-lobby
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/jeffrey-epstein-files-noam-chomsky
https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00634274.pdf