TEL AVIV, March 3: The rebellious executive of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Likud party voted on Thursday to urge Likud deputies in parliament to seek a referendum on his plan to withdraw from Gaza.

The Central Committee ballot pushed through by rightist hard liners opposed to the plan was non-binding. Mr Sharon's aides said it would have little impact since there is no majority in the Knesset (parliament) for referendum legislation.

But the vote displayed the strength of rebels in Likud who aim to join forces with opposition rightists in the Knesset to reject the state budget in a vote later this month. Failure of the budget would force snap elections and shelve the Gaza plan.

Central Committee members approved the motion for a referendum by a show of hands so overwhelming that the forum's secretary said there was no need to see who would vote 'no'.

Mr Sharon aims to evacuate all 8,500 Jewish settlers from Gaza and a few hundred of more than 230,000 from the West Bank later this year to "disengage" from conflict with the Palestinians.

The plan, which would mark Israel's first pullout from lands it occupied in the 1967 war and which Palestinians want for a state, has been touted by US-led mediators as a springboard toward final peace negotiations.

Enjoying solid support in opinion polls for 'disengagement', Ariel Sharon has rejected referendum proposals made by die hard settlers and nationalist patrons as a stalling tactic. -Reuters