Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences on the passing of former Bank of Israel Governor Professor Stanley Fischer, saying he was deeply saddened "to hear of his passing." Netanyahu described his work, saying "Stanley was a great Zionist, a person of international standing who left everything behind, made aliyah to Israel and took on the role of governor that I offered him. He was also a gifted economist, and in his role as governor he contributed greatly to the Israeli economy, particularly in maintaining stability during the global economic crisis."