Netanyahu shakes up Israeli govt economic panel

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday revamped Israel's National Economic Council, naming university professor Eugene Kandel as head of the panel.

Netanyahu also named former budget director Ori Yogev to run the committee that advises the premier and National Economic Council on economic matters.

Kandel, an economics professor at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, replaces Manuel Trajtenberg, who was a nominee of former prime minister Ehud Olmert in 2006.

Yogev is considered a close confidant of Netanyahu, who has made reviving Israel's recession-hit economy a priority.

Trajtenbeg will remain on the 12-member advisory council, which will also include Erez Vigodman, chief executive of MA Industries, the world's largest generic agrochemicals maker; Dan Propper, chairman of food maker Osem Investments; and Maxine Fassberg, general manager of Intel's Israeli unit.

(Reporting by Steven Scheer; editing by Simon Jessop)