JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest ally in Washington backed him loudly in this election. On Saturday, that ally’s friend lost the first round of the aftermath

Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced he will task former army chief Gadi Eisenkot with forming the next government, passing over Netanyahu. Eisenkot receives the mandate at a ceremony Sunday and then has 28 days, with a possible 14-day extension, to assemble a coalition of at least 61 of the Knesset’s 120 seats.

The numbers

Herzog’s choice came after consultations with every party elected to the Knesset in the October 27 vote. Lawmakers representing 67 seats recommended Eisenkot, against 46 for Netanyahu.

That 67 needs a closer look. It includes 19 seats from two Arab-led parties, the United Arab List and the Joint List. Those parties recommended Eisenkot, but a recommendation is not a commitment to join his government. Nearly all the Jewish parties had also pledged before the election not to govern with them.

So Eisenkot has a mandate and a majority on paper, but not yet a coalition.

Netanyahu’s response

Netanyahu moved fast. In a video statement, he called for a “national unity government” and warned against “hastily swearing in a government with terrorist supporters,” an apparent reference to the Arab-led parties. Eisenkot answered with his own pitch for a “national emergency government.”

Israeli law helps both sides. Forming a government needs only a simple majority, but removing one takes 61 votes for a named alternative. Until a new government wins a confidence vote, Netanyahu stays prime minister. If Eisenkot fails, Herzog can offer the task to someone else.

The Trump factor

For readers of this site, here is the American angle. Trump endorsed Netanyahu before the vote, and when the count showed him closer than polls predicted, Trump said his endorsement “made a big difference for Bibi.” Pre-election polls had pointed toward an opposition win, and Netanyahu’s bloc came out far stronger than expected. Supporters see that as proof that the Trump-Netanyahu partnership still resonates with Israeli voters.

The partnership has also been central to Netanyahu’s campaign. He told voters Israel has a “singular historical opportunity, together with our partner President Trump, to remove the existential threat of Iran once and for all.” That message sits next to the political reality in Washington, where Republicans have just lost Congress partly over the Iran war. Trump says he still stands by that policy.

I could not find a public reaction from Trump to Herzog’s decision as of this writing. Watch his Truth Social account, because he has made a habit of weighing in on Israeli politics.

What kind of leader is Eisenkot?

It would be a mistake to treat Eisenkot as a dove. He is a former military chief and a one-time member of the wartime emergency cabinet. Reporting from the region notes he shares many of Netanyahu’s security views and has backed the Gaza offensive. Where he differs is on tone and priorities: he has promised a more inclusive government and a tougher line on violent West Bank settlers.

That matters for Washington. A government led by Eisenkot would likely keep the core security partnership with the United States, but it could cool some of the personal chemistry Trump enjoys with Netanyahu. Trump’s supporters will reasonably ask how reliable a coalition that leans on Arab-led parties would be on Iran.

The road ahead

Eisenkot’s first test comes Tuesday, when the new Knesset is sworn in. After that, he faces weeks of negotiation over cabinet posts, budgets and policy. He has said he wants to swear in a minority government quickly, with outside support as a safety net.

Netanyahu, meanwhile, is not out. A stalled coalition, a failed confidence vote, or another round of elections could put him back in the picture. Israel has been through repeated elections in recent years, and few observers will rule out another.

For Trump and his movement, the lesson is simple: the Israeli story is still being written. The president’s friend has lost the first move, but not the game.