Gabbay names ex-general Tal Russo as Labor no. 2

Labor chairman Avi Gabbay names retired IDF general Tal Russo as number two on the party’s electoral slate for the April elections, promising to “place security above all else.”

Russo is filling the slot reserved for a candidate of Gabbay’s choosing.

Standing alongside Russo as he makes the announcement, Gabbay says he is confident the former head of the IDF’s Southern Command will “be a full partner in the battle for change in the country.”

As head of Southern Command, Russo oversaw 2012’s Operation Pillar of Defense, an eight-day aerial offensive against Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip that began with the targeted killing of Hamas military chief Ahmad Jabari. He served in the role until 2013 when he retired from active duty.