Israel strives to gain US backing for Sharon's disengagement plan

The hawkish prime minister, meanwhile, saw his popularity rating fall to an all-time low, with a fresh polls showing 57 percent of his fellow citizens are not pleased with him.

Assistant US Secretary of State for Near East Affairs William Burns, National Security Council number two Stephen Hadley and its Middle East director, Elliott Abrams, arrived in Israel Thursday to discuss Sharon's plans to withdraw from 17 of 21 Gaza Strip settlements.

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Sharon has said he will start implementing his disengagement plan in the next few months if there is no progress in the internationally drafted roadmap for peace with the Palestinians.

The three met Friday morning with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and Sharon's chief of staff, Dov Weisglass, US diplomatic sources told AFP without elaborating on the content of the talks.

Shalom has made no secret of his opposition to the disengagement plan and warned that its adoption could lead to far-right parties pulling out of Sharon's coalition and provoking early elections.

The foreign minister will travel to Washington next week to discuss the plan with US officials and will also meet with the United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan.

Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who is in the United States, was slated to resume talks Friday with officials there in a bid to obtain their crucial backing ahead of a possible visit by Sharon.