JERUSALEM, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday withdrew the nomination of former Commander of Israeli Navy Eli Sharvit as chief of Israel's internal security service Shin Bet, just a day after announcing it.

In a statement, Netanyahu's office said he met Sharvit again, thanked him "for his willingness to be called to duty," and informed him that "after further thought," he would consider other candidates to replace current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, whose dismissal is pending a court review.

Netanyahu did not give a reason for reversing the appointment announced on Monday, while media reports said the move followed advice from Netanyahu's allies, particularly the United States, to consider "better vetting."

Also, notably, following the appointment, several media reports revealed that Sharvit, serving 36 years in the Israeli army, including five years as the navy chief, had participated in mass protests against Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the judiciary.

The abrupt about-turn on Tuesday drew condemnation from Israel's opposition, who urged Netanyahu to decide "for the good of the state and its security" rather than "compromising to political pressure."

The Israeli government approved the dismissal of Bar on March 21, citing "a lack of trust," which marks the first time in Israel's history that the government has removed a Shin Bet head.

However, Israel's top court has suspended Bar's dismissal, with a final ruling not expected before April 8.

Tensions between Netanyahu and Bar have heightened over accountability for the failures leading up to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

The friction was fueled by Shin Bet's investigations into the government's wartime decision-making and the "Qatar-Gate" affair, involving alleged undisclosed contacts between Netanyahu's aides and Qatari officials. Enditem

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