Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday tasked Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief who leads the Yashar party, with forming the country’s next government. The move is a setback for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Oct. 27 election.

In consultations, parties holding 67 of the Knesset’s 120 seats recommended Eisenkot, and 46 backed Netanyahu. The seven lawmakers of United Torah Judaism, a longtime Netanyahu ally, endorsed neither.

Israelis vote for parties, not for a prime minister. Seats are divided roughly in proportion to the national vote, and parties need 3.25% to enter the Knesset. Because a single party rarely wins a majority, a prime minister must build a coalition, ideally of at least 61 seats, and win a confidence vote.

A recommendation is not a coalition. Eisenkot’s backers disagree on security, religion, the judiciary, and the Palestinians, and some refuse to sit with others. Most divisive is whether to rely on Arab-led parties, whose seats could prove decisive.

Netanyahu has called for a national unity government. Eisenkot, who has also urged an emergency government, has ruled out serving under Netanyahu, though Yashar has signaled that Likud could join without him.

The Haredi parties may hold the balance. United Torah Judaism and Shas have long backed Netanyahu in exchange for commitments on yeshivah funding and military exemptions. Bringing them into an Eisenkot government would mean hard bargaining over the draft. Many secular lawmakers say the burden of service must be shared more equally after years of war, while Haredi parties defend full-time Torah study.

Eisenkot has 28 days to form a government, with up to 14 more. If he fails, Herzog may turn to another lawmaker, possibly Netanyahu, for 28 days. After that, a Knesset majority may nominate a candidate. Failing that, Israel faces another election. Netanyahu remains caretaker prime minister until a new government takes office.