A popular former Israeli military chief jumped into the political fray Thursday, announcing he would run for office in the upcoming election and instantly injecting a potent challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lengthy rule. By officially registering his new party, "Israel Resilience," Gantz shakes up a snap three-month election campaign that has been widely seen as Netanyahu's to lose. Even with Netanyahu's legal woes, he remains popular in opinion polls, while Israel's established opposition remains splintered and unable to produce a viable challenger. Despite his impressive pedigree, Gantz remains a political unknown, which explains part of his appeal in such a highly partisan climate. To finally topple Netanyahu, Gantz will likely have to team up with a combination of Lapid, Kahlon, the venerable Labor Party and others.

Source: ABC News December 27, 2018 13:46 UTC