Netanyahu Clarifies Remarks on Sanctions and Economy
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified his recent remarks on Israel's economy, stating his comments about bypassing sanctions with alternative currencies were hypothetical. The statement, made on 'Galei Yisrael' radio, followed criticism from 101 economists, including a Nobel laureate, who warned of irreversible damage from potential sanctions. Netanyahu defended his economic leadership alongside Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, citing strong growth projections.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified his hypothetical remarks on bypassing sanctions with alternative currencies.
- Netanyahu's comments followed criticism from 101 economists warning of irreversible economic damage from sanctions.
- The Prime Minister defended his economic leadership with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
- Economists, including Nobel laureate Yoel Mokyr, signed a warning about potential sanctions.
- Netanyahu stated Israel has twenty measures to counter sanctions, successfully used before.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed controversy surrounding his recent economic remarks on Sunday, stating that his comments about bypassing sanctions with alternative currencies were hypothetical. In a radio interview on 'Galei Yisrael,' Netanyahu explained that he was responding to a question about a potential future scenario involving sanctions and that Israel possesses around twenty measures to counter such actions, which have been successfully employed before. He emphasized that his response did not indicate an intention to implement such a measure.
The controversy stemmed from an interview on Friday where Netanyahu suggested Israel could organize an economy bypassing sanctions using appropriate currencies. This statement drew significant criticism from economists, business leaders, and public service officials. Notably, 101 economists, including the Governor of the Bank of Israel and senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Bank, signed a warning about potential irreversible damage to the economy if sanctions were imposed on Israel. Among the signatories was Nobel laureate in Economics Yoel Mokyr.
Netanyahu also defended his economic stewardship, stating that he, along with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has successfully led Israel's economy for the past two decades. He cited the International Monetary Fund's projection of Israel having the fastest growth among OECD countries as evidence of the economy's strength. He dismissed the ensuing public debate as another manufactured "panic incident."
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