Eitan Cabel Marks 67th Birthday with Highlights from Military to Politics and Reality TV
Eitan Cabel, born on August 23, 1959, in Rosh HaAyin to Yemeni immigrant parents, has had a multifaceted career spanning military service, politics, and media. Raised in a religious education system, he studied at several yeshivas before enlisting in the IDF in 1977, volunteering for the Paratroopers Brigade where he served as a combat soldier and squad leader. Even after his parliamentary career, Cabel continued to serve in the reserves, including active duty during the 2023 Iron Swords operation in Gaza.
Cabel began his public career as a student leader at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem but did not complete his degree. In the early 1990s, he worked closely with Labor Party leader Shimon Peres and later served as an advisor to Housing Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer. He was elected to the Knesset in 1996 and served for over two decades, including a brief tenure as a minister without portfolio responsible for the Broadcasting Authority in Ehud Olmert's government in 2006-2007. He resigned after a year, urging Olmert to take responsibility and step down following the Winograd Committee's interim report.
Cabel was investigated under caution in the 2000 Case, related to his efforts to limit the distribution of the "Israel Hayom" newspaper and his ties to publisher Noni Mozes, but was not indicted. Known for his outspoken criticism within the Labor Party, he notably clashed with party leader Avi Gabbay, publicly calling for his replacement. In the 2019 Labor primaries, Cabel was placed 15th on the party list, a position insufficient for reelection, effectively ending his parliamentary career.
After politics, Cabel transitioned to media, joining the team of the Knesset-focused program "Live at Night" on Keshet 12 in 2020. In late 2021, he participated alongside his younger sister in the reality cooking competition "MKR: The Winning Kitchen." This diverse trajectory highlights Cabel's varied public life beyond his well-known political roles.
