Nikolas Sargeant
TL;DR
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Benjamin Netanyahu said he has requested a blockchain-related plan to prepare Israel for potential economic sanctions.
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The Israeli prime minister identified banking restrictions as a risk requiring contingency planning.
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He did not name any blockchain networks, currencies, implementation timeline, or officials responsible for the plan.
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He said an additional 400 billion shekels, approximately $129 billion, had been allocated to defense spending over the coming years.
Netanyahu Identifies Blockchain as a Potential Alternative
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has asked for a plan involving blockchain as part of preparations for possible economic sanctions, including restrictions on banking.
In an interview broadcast Friday on Israel’s Channel 10, Netanyahu argued that the country needs an economy that can function under financial constraints.
“We need to understand that there could be sanctions, including banking sanctions. You need to prepare an economy that can bypass them,” he said, according to a translation of the Hebrew transcript.
“You know what that means, and you know about the currencies that bypass this. I'm working on that too. There are other things as well.”
Interviewer Roy Katz then asked whether Netanyahu viewed blockchain as an alternative for addressing economic sanctions.
“One of them, certainly. I have already asked for a plan to be prepared for that,” Netanyahu replied.
Netanyahu did not identify who would develop the plan or explain how a blockchain-based arrangement would operate.
He also provided no details about the currencies or networks under consideration, the scope of any proposed system, or when it might be implemented.
His remarks indicate that he has requested contingency planning, rather than announced a completed framework or an operational payment system. He presented blockchain as one of several potential approaches without elaborating on the others.
The interview also did not establish whether any proposed arrangement could maintain access to financial services under future sanctions.
Israel Urged to Prepare for Reduced U.S. Support
Netanyahu linked financial preparedness with a broader push for greater national self-reliance.
He said Israel should prepare for an eventual end to U.S. military assistance, warning that the tens of billions of dollars in support he said he had secured would not continue indefinitely.
“It's only a matter of time,” he said.
Netanyahu argued that Israel needs to strengthen its ability to manufacture ammunition and weapons independently, alongside maintaining its military capabilities.
He said he had allocated an additional 400 billion shekels, equivalent to approximately $129 billion, to the defense budget over the coming years.
The prime minister also said Israel should prepare for a potentially less favorable political environment in Washington after President Donald Trump leaves office.
“I can tell you with certainty: there has never been a president this friendly, and it's doubtful there will ever be another like him,” Netanyahu said.
His comments placed the proposed blockchain plan within a wider effort to prepare for possible changes in Israel’s financial access, military assistance, and diplomatic support. Further details would be needed to assess what the requested plan entails and whether it moves beyond the planning stage.
