Eisenkot says 150 billion shekels face risk in new digital money fight

Gadi Eisenkot claims 150 billion shekels are at stake in Israel's financial system. He made the assertion in a campaign video released on Saturday. The former IDF chief of staff and Yashar party chairman targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent comments on economic contingency plans.

The video opens with the line, 'All of our money is at risk.' It then cuts to footage from an earlier Channel 10 interview. In that interview, Netanyahu said Israel must prepare for an alternative economy due to international sanctions. He stated that digital finance would certainly be part of that plan. He added, 'I've already asked for a plan to be prepared for that.'

Eisenkot's team labeled the proposed blockchain mechanism 'Bibicoin.' The ad argues that this specific financial tool would destroy the country. It warns that the result would be an economy resembling North Korea and Iran. The video lists the end of high-tech, healthcare, and security as inevitable outcomes of such a shift.

The campaign also questioned the viability of investment under a digital-only system. It asked how global high-tech firms could invest in Israeli companies if digital currency were the only method available. The video urged viewers not to let the prime minister burn through national savings.

In a separate post on X, Eisenkot addressed the issue directly. He wrote that Netanyahu admits his policy will lead to international isolation. He stated that resulting economic sanctions would shake the economy and the market. Eisenkot concluded that this trajectory signals the collapse of national security.

The dispute centers on Netanyahu's own words from the Channel 10 interview. Eisenkot used those remarks as the basis for his criticism. The prime minister's suggestion to prepare alternative financial mechanisms is now a central point of political debate.

The 150 billion shekels figure represents the estimated value of the national savings at risk according to Eisenkot's claim. The Yashar leader positioned this sum as the direct consequence of the proposed digital pivot.