[Bank of Israel Responds to Netanyahu: Cryptocurrency Cannot Be Used to Bypass Sanctions] According to the Times of Israel, the Bank of Israel issued a statement on Saturday responding to Prime Minister Netanyahu's earlier proposal to use blockchain and cryptocurrency to circumvent potential international banking sanctions, stating that cryptocurrency "cannot be a means of circumventing sanctions." The Bank of Israel stated that the best course of action for the Israeli economy is to maintain economic relations with major trading partners and strive to avoid sanctions and their economic impact; this issue is a political responsibility. According to ynetnews, Israeli economic officials stated they were unaware of the relevant plans.