Zionist Camp member Eitan Cabel was selected June 1 to chair the much-coveted Knesset Economic Affairs Committee, beating the former chair of his own party, Shelly Yachimovich, in a secret ballot by the faction. In addition to being a demonstration of his political clout, the victory awarded Cabel the chairmanship of one of the Knesset’s most important committees in terms of economic reforms. Chief among such issues will be the one concerning the country’s vast and rich natural gas deposits discovered offshore.
For a few years now, the government has been negotiating the development and distribution of these resources and earnings with gas companies. The topic remains a constant on Israel's public agenda, which will bring Cabel media prominence and a chance to influence the final outline of a gas deal.