Prophet of Doom
Nahum Barnea analyzes Benjamin Netanyahu's panic speeches ahead of the elections, warning of economic sanctions and the Iranian threat. Barnea argues the threat is real but not a decree from heaven, and can be stopped by electing a different government. He criticizes Netanyahu's proposed solution of transitioning to a crypto economy and warns of a brain drain and capital flight from Israel.
Nahum Barnea analyzes Benjamin Netanyahu's panic speeches ahead of the elections, in which he tries to instill existential fear in his voters: the world will finish us economically and the Iranians will finish us physically. Barnea argues that the diagnosis contains a kernel of truth, but the problem lies with the treatment and the doctor. He details the threat of sanctions against Israel in Europe and the United States, but explains that the threat is far from a decree from heaven: the global financial center in New York, slow legislative processes, and the rightward shift in Europe that might actually benefit Israel. Barnea claims that Netanyahu does not tell his voters that the process can be easily stopped by electing a different government. He criticizes the solution proposed by Netanyahu—transitioning to a crypto economy—and warns of a brain drain, capital flight, and talent leaving Israel. The writer links the calls for a boycott to Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank, and argues that the price for what is happening in the West Bank is colossal.