Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that Israel could use cryptocurrency to circumvent future banking sanctions triggered alarm and ridicule among financial commentators, journalists and opposition politicians, who accused him of preparing Israelis for international isolation rather than preventing it.

Speaking to Israel’s Channel 10, Netanyahu acknowledged the possibility of banking sanctions and said he had requested a plan involving blockchain technology to help bypass them. His remarks, four days before the election, also included a warning that American military assistance would eventually end.

“This is jaw-droppingly…