Jerusalem — A majority of Israelis, including supporters of the governing Likud Party, support Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, a new poll showed Tuesday, despite a growing rebellion by party legislators opposed to the proposal.
The poll in the Maariv daily was published a day after Mr. Sharon came under sharp criticism at a gathering of Likud members. The turbulent meeting was cut short because of the verbal assault on the Prime Minister.
In new violence, Palestinian militants fired two homemade rockets from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel early Tuesday. One of the rockets hit a building in an industrial zone less than three kilometres from Mr. Sharon's desert ranch, the army said.
Mr. Sharon was not at the ranch at the time, and no one was injured. Palestinian militants in Gaza frequently fire the inaccurate Qassam rockets into neighbouring Jewish settlements or Israel but they rarely cause casualties. Israeli media said the rockets used in the attack packed more explosives and had a longer range than those used in earlier attacks.
Mr. Sharon has been trying to push his Gaza withdrawal plan forward since Likud members resoundingly rejected it in a party referendum last month. On Sunday, he failed to secure a majority in the cabinet for his Gaza plan and postponed a vote until next week.
Mr. Sharon's plan calls for a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and from four Jewish settlements in the northern West Bank. Since the referendum setback on May 2, Mr. Sharon has slightly revised the plan, saying he would carry out the withdrawal in four stages, instead of one.
Mr. Sharon's main Likud rival, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has led the opposition, voicing support for a far more limited Gaza withdrawal.
Tuesday's poll, conducted by the Teleseker group, said that 55 per cent of Israelis support Mr. Sharon's plan, while 32 per cent back Mr. Netanyahu. Likud supporters also favour Mr. Sharon's proposal 54-31 over Mr. Netanyahu, the survey said. It had a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.
Despite the poll, analysts said Mr. Sharon has a tough battle ahead in trying to get the plan passed by the bitterly divided cabinet, where he is one vote short of a majority.
“He doesn't have any ability to pass his political plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip despite the public's support,” commentator Shimon Shiffer saidon Israel Radio.
Mr. Sharon believes that withdrawing from Gaza would boost Israel's security and help it hold on to parts of the West Bank in a final peace deal with the Palestinians. About 7,500 Jewish settlers live amid 1.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, a crowded coastal strip that borders Egypt.
He has garnered support of the United States, Egypt and the Palestinians for the plan.
On Monday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called Mr. Sharon and “reiterated his willingness to advance the plan,” Mr. Sharon's office said. The two leaders agreed to form a committee, and Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom is to fly to Cairo on Thursday to discuss details.
Mr. Shalom has so far refused to endorse Mr. Sharon's plan. The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, quoting an unidentified political source, said Mr. Sharon hopes Mr. Mubarak will persuade the wavering Foreign Minister to join the list of supporters and give the Prime Minister a cabinet majority.
Attempting to stem a Likud rebellion, Mr. Sharon presented his revised Gaza plan at a closed-door meeting of party legislators Monday. The meeting was cut short after Mr. Sharon came under sharp verbal attack.
“You have no majority in any party forum,” Likud legislator Naomi Blumenthal told Mr. Sharon at the Monday meeting, accusing him of ignoring the party's wishes.
Ms. Blumenthal, a staunch opponent of the plan, castigated Mr. Sharon for trying to reverse the Likud referendum. “You are belittling us, scorning us, threatening us. Do you want to disengage from the Likud?” she said.
Mr. Sharon did not respond, but the Likud faction chief, Gideon Saar, quickly ended the meeting, participants said.
Signs of Mr. Sharon's growing political weakness have fuelled talk about an early election. Mr. Sharon has threatened to reshape his coalition, including firing ministers, to create a cabinet majority for the Gaza plan.
After initial hesitations, the Palestinians have warmed up to Mr. Sharon's proposal, although they have demanded that Israel commit to further withdrawals from the West Bank.
