The nomination is an attempt to avoid another election after years of deadlock. From 2019 to 2022, one of the most politically fractured periods in Israeli politics, voters went to the polls five times as Netanyahu and his rivals repeatedly failed to co-operate.
All but one of the Jewish parties pledged before the polls not to work with them to form a government. Eisenkot and every member of his bloc bar one has previously refused to enter government with Arab parties, though there has been speculation that an agreement could be reached.
The president has broad discretion to choose the lawmaker he believes has the best chance of building a coalition. He does not have to pick the leader of the party with the most seats.
His potential pathways include a minority government backed from outside by Arab parties, a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties that he and his allies have shunned in the past, or a unity government with Netanyahu.
Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, is fighting to hold onto office after his coalition lost its majority but still emerged as the largest bloc in parliament.
Two parties representing Israel's Arab minority won an unprecedented 19 seats. An anti-Netanyahu bloc led by Eisenkot, a former military chief, has refused to join forces with Arab parties that could hand it a majority. Eisenkot will have 28 days to try to form an administration, with a possible 14-day extension. Weeks of protracted negotiations are expected to follow his nomination.
Eisenkot's Yashar party emerged as the second-largest party, with 21 seats. His coalition spans four centre-left to right-wing Jewish-led parties and won 48 seats in all.
During his consultations, Herzog said that to prevent another round of elections and to build a stable government, he expected"factions and their representatives to understand that, in the current reality, not every commitment and promise can be fulfilled". Israel's president said he would task opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot with forming a new coalition government after last week's election left parliament without a majority.