A majority of Likud party voters support Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, according to a poll published by an Israeli newspaper.
Mr Sharon is locked in a dispute over the US-backed plan with rightist Likud rivals led by Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that has delayed a critical cabinet vote.
The poll in the Maarivdaily showed that 54 per cent of Likud voters backed Mr Sharon on the plan, as compared to 31 per cent for Mr Netanyahu. When asked who they would prefer to lead the party, 61 per cent cited Mr Sharon and 25 per cent said Mr Netanyahu.
Among the general public, Mr Sharon's plan polled 55 per cent support, with 32 per cent for Mr Netanyahu, while 51 per cent said they would prefer Mr Sharon as Likud leader, with 24 per cent backing Netanyahu.
The results of the poll of 600 Israeli adults contrasted with the outcome of a May 2nd Likud referendum on Mr Sharon's initial version of the pullout, which was rejected by a majority of party members, prompting him to revise the plan.
The revised blueprint which Mr Sharon presented to his cabinet on Sunday calls for a staged evacuation of 7,500 Jewish settlers living in 21 enclaves in the Gaza Strip, where 1.3 million Palestinians live.