In a setback for Netanyahu, Israel's president taps opposition candidate Eisenkot to form. Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday tasked opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government, giving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main challenger the first opportunity. Eisenkot is a formerIsrael Defense Forces(IDF) chief of staff who went into politics in 2022. He became Netanyahu's main rival in this election, running a campaign that pulled in parties from.