Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon warned his Likud party today it would be forced into early elections if party members refused to allow him bring opposition parties into his governing coalition.
Mr Sharon, who wants to recruit the centre-left Labour Party to rebuild his shattered government and help him keep his Gaza withdrawal plan on track, said voters would "punish" the rightist Likud at the polls if they did not help him salvage his government.
He has set a vote for Thursday by the Likud's hardline central committee on whether to authorise coalition talks with dovish Labour after banning such contacts in August.