Capital controls, no imports: What Netanyahu's crypto economy would mean for Israel

Tel Aviv, earlier this month. Credit: Tomer AppelbaumShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeThe sanctions on Russia show that financial isolation damages people's standard of living. If more sanctions are imposed on Israel, cryptocurrency won't save the economy from fleeing foreign investors, falling exports and the erosion of savingsImage: Tel Aviv, earlier this month. Credit: Tomer Appelbaum02:18 PM • October 26 2026 ISTFor weeks, Russia and its dictator Vladimir Putin had been preparing to invade Ukraine, with Russian military buildup along the border. Europe had already imposed economic sanctions on Putin and Russia in hopes of preventing the attack, and the Russian stock market had already lost a third of its value from its peak. When Russia attacked on February 24, 2022, the market fell by another 33 percent, a one-day record.In the NewsHow Do I Vote? All You Need to Know Before Casting Your Ballot'Vote for Accountability': October 7 Families Gather at Hostage SquareMilitary Officials Say Netanyahu Using Clash With IDF Chief for CampaignWhat Netanyahu Might Do After the Election Is the Real DangerElection Day in Israel: Polls Open as Netanyahu Fights to Stay in PowerRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIIsrael 2026 Election Poll Tracker: The Latest Projections'What He Did Was Outrageous': Netanyahu's Former Confidant Ron Lauder Speaks OutIsrael Briefly Detains U.S. Congressional Candidate Brad Lander in West BankAs Hard Right Fears Defeat, Settler Convoys Enter Tel AvivFor These American Jews, Palestinian Olive Harvest Is Act of DefianceIsrael Arrests 21 in Alleged Multimillion-Shekel Gaza Contractor Fraud Scheme