Professor Stanley Fischer, one of the most influential figures in Israeli economic history and a former Governor of the Bank of Israel, passed away last night at the age of 81 after a prolonged illness.
Born in October 1943 in Zambia, Professor Fischer’s distinguished international career began long before he assumed his prominent role in Israel. He served as Vice President of the World Bank in 1988 and, from 1994 to 2001, held the role of First Deputy Managing Director at the International Monetary Fund. He later entered the private sector, taking on senior leadership positions at Citigroup International.

WATCH:

A flight filled with Breslover chassidim headed to Uman for Shavuos was thrown into chaos after one passenger was caught smoking an electronic cigarette, forcing the plane to return to Tel Aviv and leading to the removal of all passengers, Matzav.com has learned.
The incident occurred on a Wizz Air flight scheduled to depart from Tel Aviv to Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday. Just moments before takeoff, smoke detectors in the cabin were triggered when a passenger began vaping. Flight attendants rushed to the scene, and although there was no immediate danger to the aircraft, security protocols required the involvement of law enforcement.

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg is preparing to sail to Gaza this weekend on a humanitarian mission, drawing sharp criticism from some commentators who are suggesting she shouldn’t plan on returning.
The 22-year-old, known globally for her climate change campaigns, will be joined by several other notable figures as they board the ship “Madleen” in Catania, Sicily on Sunday. Their goal is to bring aid to Gaza and protest the Israeli blockade that has remained in place for months.
According to the World Health Organization, Gaza faces a looming famine due to the blockade, with 75% of the population experiencing severe to extreme food shortages.

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Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut traveled to Kyiv on Friday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discuss their latest legislative initiative aimed at ramping up pressure on Russia through sweeping new sanctions. The two lawmakers are pushing a bipartisan bill designed to punish Moscow if it continues to evade meaningful peace negotiations.
The proposed legislation, introduced last week, threatens to enforce harsh penalties on Russia and those who facilitate its war efforts in Ukraine. One of the central components of the bill is a massive 500% tariff on imports from nations that purchase Russian energy, including oil, gas, and uranium, as well as other key commodities.

Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Bamidbar – 47th day of the Omer
Dear Parents of Yeshiva ——–   ——–    שליט”א,
A Gutten Erev Shabbos and Yom Tov to you and all of Klal Yisroel. As we prepare for the upcoming Yom Tov, please take a moment to read this message. As your child’s Sgan Menahel I am zoche to know the wonderful talmidim and watch them Shteig every single day of the year. As you can imagine, some days are easier and some are harder. For example, Sundays in general are a drop more challenging, especially in the summer when Havdala is very late and the talmidim go to sleep very late. Sunday is also harder for many talmidim who have sisters who stay home.

A powerful new ruling has sent shockwaves through the city of Bnei Brak, as leading rabbinic authorities have declared that renting apartments in the new “Supermarket Complex” neighborhood in the northern part of the city to individuals who are not chareidi le’dvar Hashem (devoutly observant) is strictly forbidden.
In a strongly worded letter published in recent days, prominent poskim of Bnei Brak expressed concern over developments in the new neighborhood, where, due to difficulty in finding tenants, some property owners have begun renting out their apartments to individuals who do not conform to the religious character of the area.

Iran has expanded its reserves of enriched uranium and continues to block access to its nuclear facilities for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to the agency’s latest quarterly assessment.
The report notes that Iran’s supply of uranium enriched to 60% has climbed to 133.8 kilograms, bringing the total amount of material at that level of enrichment to 408.6 kilograms. Meanwhile, the stockpile of uranium enriched to 20% has declined, dropping from 332.3 kilograms to 274.5 kilograms.
In a rare move, the Prime Minister’s Office of Israel issued an English-language statement on Shabbos, urging swift action from the global community to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Hamas issued a new set of conditions and revisions today in response to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s latest ceasefire and hostage-release proposal, prompting Witkoff to condemn the group’s reply as “totally unacceptable and only takes us backward.”
A Hamas representative, who spoke with the Associated Press anonymously because of the sensitive nature of the discussions, said the revisions centered around “US guarantees, the timing of hostage release, the delivery of aid and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.”