Australian researcher Anthony Loewenstein, whose book on the Israeli arms industry titled The Palestine Laboratory has just been released in India, said that only international pressure could end the war in Palestine.

Speaking at a Palestine Solidarity Convention in Delhi on Saturday, Loewenstein, a Jew, said: “This has been going on since the beginning of Israel’s existence. Israel has been using Palestinians as guinea pigs for new weapons, tools of control and repression…. Israel has increasingly used that laboratory (of the occupied territories) as a marketing tool. So they are selling these huge amounts of weapons and surveillance tech to, what I estimate, 130-140 countries, which is the majority of nations. We’re talking about democracies and dictatorships.”

He added: “What Israel is doing in Gaza since October 7 is testing new weapons. Israel’s not in Gaza solely for that reason. They’re in there for revenge, bloodlust, control, land, and a range of reasons. But the arms industry is central because since October 7, already Israeli companies and the Israeli government have been promoting and
selling the weapons of control and death that they are using in Gaza at arms fairs across the world. This has allowed Israel to make huge numbers of friends.”

Loewenstein explained: “It’s the longest occupation in modern times, and to get away without sanctions!... What has changed (since October 7) is the growing amount of global solidarity, people power along with a number of governments.”

He said: “India is Israel’s biggest purchaser of weapons but also is increasingly the other way around. India is producing weapons that Israel is using in Gaza and elsewhere. The great challenge to change this economic and political equation is massive public pressure, arms embargoes, and sanctions. Change in Israel will not come from within. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t Israel Jews who oppose what is going on, of course there are but they’re a tiny minority.”

“But anyone you speak to in Israel or Palestine who opposes this will say that this will only change with outside pressure similar to what ended the apartheid in South Africa…. Growing numbers of Jews, including myself do say, Not In My Name!”

Loewenstein shared the stage with Palestinian ambassador Adnan Abu Al-Haija, leaders of Left and socialist parties and peace activists.