Ex-Israeli army chief Benny Gantz launches campaign to replace PM Benjamin Netanyahu
- Widely respected former chief of staff is seen as a political centrist, but has kept his cards close to his chest and made few public comments
- Opinions of Gantz may change after he makes speech to outline agenda
A former Israeli military chief regarded as the only serious challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to formally launch his election campaign on Tuesday.
Benny Gantz was to deliver a speech in Tel Aviv to “discuss all the issues at hand” and respond to claims made against him by political opponents, a source close to the retired general said.
His party, Israel Resilience, is set to be the second largest in parliament in the April 9 vote, according to a series of polls since its launch in December.
The tall, telegenic ex-general with salty hair is still untarnished by partisan politics and has been riding a wave of popularity, even while saying little and presenting a vague ideological platform.
In a rare remark, he committed to amend a contentious law defining Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people to accommodate its Druze minority, leading to Netanyahu calling him a “leftist”.