Poll reveals divided views and national differences on impact of Gaza disengagement plan

Some 31 per cent across all three countries agreed it would help the peace process, compared with just 15 per cent who felt it would hinder it.

At the same time, the research - which was undertaken between 4 - 10 August - reveals that the policies of Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon are viewed by more than a third of respondents (35 per cent) across the three countries surveyed as having neither made the conflict in the Middle East worse nor helped bring peace. In addition, one in five (20 per cent) was convinced that Sharon had made the conflict worse and just 16 per cent believed that he had helped bring peace to the region.

More than a quarter of respondents overall were unable to offer any view at all on either the impact of 'disengagement' or the policies of Ariel Sharon in the Middle East peace process.

Respondents in Britain (33 per cent) and Germany (32 per cent) were marginally more in favour of the disengagement plan than those in France (29 per cent). At the same time, Britons were more evenly split in their responses, with 20 per cent thinking the plan would hinder the peace process, and 27 per cent who thought it would neither hinder nor help the process. People in Germany were most convinced that the plan would make no difference either way (37 per cent).

Respondents in France emerged as giving the highest levels of 'don't knows' in their responses. Some 46 per cent answered 'don't know' when asked for their views on the disengagement plan and 40 per cent offered 'don't know' when asked about the success of Ariel Sharon's policies.

However, among those respondents in France who did express a view, a higher proportion (more than half of the total recording an opinion) said they felt that the disengagement plan would help the Middle East peace process than among those in either Britain or Germany.

When asked for their views on the effectiveness of Ariel Sharon's policies on the Middle East peace process, respondents in Germany (44 per cent) were least convinced that these policies had made any impact compared with 34 per cent of Britons and just 21 per cent of people in France.

In France, respondents were most evenly split in their answers with 18 per cent saying Sharon's policies have helped bring peace, compared with 21 per cent who believe they have made the conflict worse and 21 per cent who think that the policies have neither made it worse nor helped bring peace.

A spokesperson commented: "The inconclusive nature of the findings reflect the complexity of the situation."