JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Economy Minister Aryeh Deri named Uri Schwartz as acting commissioner of the anti-trust authority to temporarily replace David Gilo, who is stepping down at the end of the month.
Schwartz has served as legal advisor to the authority since 2011, the ministry said on Sunday.
Gilo in May said he would resign in protest over a deal that he says would speed up the development of the Leviathan natural gas field at the expense of bringing in new competition.
The deal reached earlier this month will allow Texas-based Noble Energy and Israel's Delek Group to keep ownership of Leviathan. They are required to sell off other assets, including stakes in a large deposit called Tamar.
Critics say the agreement, which has been approved by the cabinet, still leaves Noble and Delek with too much power because they would control most of Israel's gas reserves.
Gilo last year ruled that Noble and Delek may constitute a monopoly given their control of both Tamar and Leviathan but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opted to go ahead with the gas deal.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)
