Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces re-election this week, is drawing criticism from economists and political rivals after suggesting Israel could use cryptocurrency to help shield its economy from potential international sanctions, Reuters reports.

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 10 on Friday, Netanyahu said he was preparing for a scenario in which broader sanctions were imposed on Israel.

“There could be sanctions, and sanctions on banks so you need to set up a bypass economy,” Netanyahu said. “You know, there are currencies that can bypass (sanctions). We are also working on that.”

Asked whether he was referring to cryptocurrency, Netanyahu replied: “Very true, very true,” adding that blockchain technology was another possibility.