Bank of Israel rejects a Netanyahu-backed crypto plan seen as a way to blunt possible sanctions
Netanyahu said in a TV interview that Israel must prepare for an 'alternative economy', including cryptocurrency, if it faces international sanctions. Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron replied that crypto cannot be used to get round sanctions, and opposition leaders attacked the idea.
Left 1 · Centre-left 4 · Centre 1 · Centre-right 1 · Right 0
Sources by leanFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Sanctions evasion: Netanyahu 'floats crypto to bypass sanctions' (Al Jazeera); 'Bank of Israel against Netanyahu' (Haaretz).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Israeli central bank rejects Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to use crypto to evade sanctions” (Financial Times).
Right-leaning outlets
Opposition criticism: 'Bibicoin will destroy Israel', says Eisenkot (Jerusalem Post).
Holding the paradox
Agreed facts
Netanyahu said in a TV interview that Israel must 'prepare for an alternative economy' if it faces sanctions, including crypto. Bank of Israel governor Amir Yaron said crypto cannot be used to get round international sanctions.
Where claims conflict
Whether this is serious planning or campaign talk; critics say it admits economic damage.
What each side is protecting
Critics: the shekel and Israel's trading ties. Netanyahu: room to act if sanctions come.
Common ground
Both sides want to avoid sanctions hurting ordinary Israelis.
The paradox
A plan to protect the economy from sanctions worries the central bank charged with protecting it.
The bridge
Shared question: what keeps Israel's trade relationships intact?
Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
Centre 1
- Financial Times
Israeli central bank rejects Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to use crypto to evade sanctions (paywalled or blocks bots)
Showing 1 from each side of 7 rated outlets (L 5 / C 1 / R 1). Capped at 1 because that is all we found on the thinnest side. More coverage
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (7 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Haaretz | Left | According to the Financial Times, Haaretz does not report its earnings. They were also the first Israeli paper to introduce the paywall. For subscription fees, please see here. source |
| Bloomberg | Centre-left | Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source |
| Times of Israel | Centre-left | The Times of Israel is co-owned by David Horovitz and Seth Klarman. Revenue is generated through advertising..push({}); source |
| Ynet News | Centre-left | Yedioth Ahronoth owns Ynetnews. Advertising derives revenue. source |
| Financial Times | Centre | The Financial Times is owned by The Nikkei, a Japanese news and financial information company that publishes the leading financial paper, The Nikkei. The FT generates revenue through subscriptions, a hard paywall, and advertising..push({}); source |
| Jerusalem Post | Centre-right | In 1989, the paper was purchased by Hollinger Inc. for $17-million, which Canadian-born British Conservative Conrad Black owned. Conrad Black later was charged with “swindling his company, Hollinger International, of $60 million.” He was serving a prison sentence; however, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned him. source |
| i24NEWS | Not rated | No ownership data found |
Social pulse
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X: 96 posts matching “"Bank of Israel" crypto -is:retweet”
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Netanyahu Warns of End to U.S. Aid, Eyes Crypto Bypass for Sanctions
Speaking four days before Israel's national election, Netanyahu said annual U.S. defense assistance of tens of billions will not last forever, as 'America has changed.' He confirmed plans for an 'alternate economy' involving cryptocurrencies and blockchain to counter possible banking restrictions, without naming specific countries. Critics like analyst Nadav Eyal called the idea disturbing, likening it to sanctioned nations, while the Bank of Israel rejected crypto as a sanctions workaround and stressed maintaining trade ties; the remarks have fueled election debates on economic resilience and global relations.
Updated 25 Oct 04:56 UK time · View on X