Benjamin Netanyahu has offered cryptocurrency as part of a possible answer to broader economic sanctions. It is an impressive leap from a political problem to a product demonstration.

Reuters reports that his Friday proposal drew a rebuke from the Bank of Israel and a critical letter signed Sunday by more than 100 economists. The central bank says cryptocurrency is not a sanctions bypass and urges preserving economic relations with trading partners. Broader sanctions remain a scenario being discussed, not an event this column is announcing.

That qualification matters. So does the difference between changing how a payment travels and changing why another country is reluctant to deal with you.

If the neighbors stop inviting you around because of your behavior, changing your banking app may not be the social breakthrough you imagine. They are not struggling with your contactless settings.

A diplomatic relationship is not a stubborn vending machine. You do not restore it by rotating the coin, giving the slot a little tap and announcing that the next generation of coins will be decentralized.

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I understand the appeal of this kind of answer for a political leader. Policy changes involve choices, consequences and admitting that other people have leverage. A technological promise allows you to gesture confidently at a future system that has not yet had the discourtesy to fail in public.

The economists warn of serious economic damage. Those are forecasts and warnings, not a record of damage already caused by this proposed arrangement. They still deserve something more substantial than being waved toward the innovation corner.

Israelis deserve an economic discussion that distinguishes a functioning trade relationship from an exciting way to describe its absence. A digital token cannot by itself manufacture a willing counterparty, repair trust or answer a diplomatic objection.

Before spending another minute admiring the proposed workaround, perhaps someone could examine the policy problem it is supposed to work around.

The checkout screen is rarely the part of the relationship that needs an apology.

Source: Reuters, October 25.