Eisenkot: 150 Billion Shekels Staked in Netanyahu's Digital Finance Plan

Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar party, released a campaign video on Saturday to criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal for alternative financial mechanisms. The former IDF chief argued that the plan serves as an admission that the prime minister has economically damaged the country. Eisenkot posted the video on X, where it quickly drew attention for its sharp tone and specific financial warnings.

The video began with the statement that all of the nation's money is at risk. It then cut to clips from a previous Channel 10 interview in which Netanyahu discussed the need to prepare for an alternative economy due to international sanctions. The former prime minister acknowledged in that interview that digital finance would certainly form part of his strategy. He added that he had already asked for a plan to be prepared for that purpose. Eisenkot's team used these remarks to frame the proposal as a necessary step rather than a last resort.

Eisenkot's campaign attached a mocking label to the concept, calling it Bibicoin. The video asserted that such a financial mechanism would destroy Israel. It compared the potential outcome to the economic structures of North Korea and Iran. The narrative suggested that the shift would mark the end of the high-tech sector, the end of healthcare, and the end of security. The video asked how the global high-tech industry could invest in Israeli companies if digital currency became the only available method for transactions.

In a separate post on X, Eisenkot took a more personal approach to the issue. He wrote that Netanyahu admits his policy will lead to international isolation and economic sanctions. Eisenkot stated that these sanctions will shake the economy and the market. He concluded that this trajectory will result in the collapse of national security. The former chief of staff urged viewers not to let the prime minister burn through the country's savings.

The exchange places Netanyahu's economic contingency planning at the center of the current political debate. Eisenkot used the prime minister's own words from the Channel 10 interview as the primary evidence for his criticism. The video and the accompanying post aim to define the financial strategy as a response to failure rather than a proactive measure. This framing challenges the government's narrative regarding the necessity of preparing for an alternative economic system.