Israeli Prime Minister Mr Sharon has urged his Likud party to vote for a governing alliance with the Labour Party.
He warned that failure to do so would force snap elections and derail his Gaza withdrawal plan
Internal polls predict victory for Mr Sharon in a crucial ballot today of Likud's Central Committee on whether to allow him to open talks with centre-left Labour on joining a unity coalition to rebuild his government. Mr Sharon warned the 3,000 committee members voters that failure to back the motion could lead to elections.
"Elections now would be a major mistake," Mr Sharon told Israel Radio. "We are in the midst of an initiative to evacuate the Gaza Strip. . . . All of these steps would be stopped."
The Likud committee members are being asked to authorise coalition talks with Labour as well as two ultra-Orthodox parties. Mr Sharon hopes the vote will free him of constraints by revoking a Central Committee ban issued in August against bringing dovish Labour into his coalition.
Mr Sharon is heading a minority government following the departure of ultranationalist parties over opposition to his Gaza plan. He ousted the secularist Shinui party last week after it voted against the 2005 budget in protest at funding for ultra-Orthodox Jews.