Story perspectives

Bank of Israel Rejects Netanyahu’s Crypto Sanctions-Evasion Plan

By Drooid · Oct 25, 2026, 2:37 AM UTC · How we work

Left

Palestinian Voter Exclusion

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel 10 on Oct. 24 2026 Israel must ready a crypto economy to evade banking sanctions and warned U.S. aid may end.
The Oct. 27 election sidelines Palestinian parties and citizens, keeping them out of the national political debate.
Supreme Court reinstated Joint List and United Arab List, keeping Palestinian parties on ballot.
About 2 million Palestinian citizens—21% of voters—cannot vote in the West Bank or Gaza.

Right

Eisenkot Endorses Trump

Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel 10 on Oct. 24 2026 Israel must prepare a crypto economy to evade banking sanctions and warned U.S. aid could end.
IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, whose son and nephews died in Gaza, opposes Netanyahu, praises Trump’s plan and pushes for a NATO that keeps Israel low-profile.
Polls show Eisenkot leads and aims to unseat Netanyahu.
He credits President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan with freeing hostages.

Center

Crypto Sanctions Warning

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel 10 on Oct. 24 2026 Israel must ready a crypto economy to evade banking sanctions and that U.S. aid may end.
The Bank of Israel rejected the crypto plan, saying cryptocurrencies cannot bypass sanctions and urging Israel to preserve trade ties.
The Israeli High-Tech Headquarters and opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the proposal as dangerous, likening a crypto economy to Iran and North Korea.

Blindspot

The Supreme Court overturned the Central Elections Committee’s move to bar the Joint List and United Arab List, keeping Palestinian parties on the ballot, as reported by Left-leaning sources.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center- and Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

In 2014 the United States imposed sweeping sanctions on Iran, forcing Tehran to seek alternative financial channels to sustain its economy. Iran’s Central Bank then allocated $1.5 billion to a digital rial pilot in 2020, demonstrating state-backed crypto as a sanctions-evasion tool. Similarly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged a crypto economy in October 2026, citing potential U.S. aid cuts and banking restrictions, while the Supreme Court reinstated the Joint List for 2 million Palestinian voters. The recurrence underscores how digital currencies become geopolitical leverage, prompting regional actors to recalibrate diplomatic strategies and domestic electoral frameworks.

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Palestinian Voter Exclusion

Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Channel 10 on Oct. 24 2026 Israel must ready a crypto economy to evade banking sanctions and warned U.S. aid may end.
The Oct. 27 election sidelines Palestinian parties and citizens, keeping them out of the national political debate.
Supreme Court reinstated Joint List and United Arab List, keeping Palestinian parties on ballot.
About 2 million Palestinian citizens—21% of voters—cannot vote in the West Bank or Gaza.

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