One of his cabinet ministers said Sharon would have no option but to stand down if he is charged with accepting bribes from contractor David Appel in the so-called Greek island affair.

Widespread media reports said state prosecutor Edna Arbel is to recommend that Attorney General Meni Mazuz prosecute Sharon.

They come two months after Appel was indicted on charges of trying to bribe Sharon when he was foreign minister, through the latter's son Gilad, in exchange for their help in securing a major Greek property deal.

"Under such circumstances, the prime minister should resign," National Infrastructure Minister Yosef Paritzky told public radio.

"If he is charged, the prime minister should submit his resignation and not merely suspend his activities," said Paritzky, who is a member of the centrist Shinui party, the second largest faction in Israel's governing coalition.

The prime minister would not be in a position to run the country as he needs to "devote himself entirely to his defense", added the minister.

The state prosecutor's office refused to comment on the reports Sunday as did the prime minister's office.

But one of Sharon's lawyers, Avigdor Klasberg, told the radio that the prosecutor general's office had "deliberately leaked" the news in a bid to heap pressure on Mazuz.

Sharon himself was chairing a meeting of his cabinet in Jerusalem. Most ministers refused to make any comment as they entered the meeting but Tourism Minister Benny Elon, of the far right National Union party, praised Arbel's "courage".

Elon's party is vehemently opposed to Sharon's plans to evacuate most of the Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and other opponents of his plans have accused Sharon of pushing his proposals in order to divert attention away from the corruption scandal.

Sharon himself is expected in Washington on April 14 for talks with US President George W. Bush in a bid to secure support for what he has dubbed his "disengagement plan".

Under the terms of his project, Israel is likely to evacuate all but a handful of Gaza settlements and a small number in the northern West Bank in return for strengthening control over others in the West Bank.

The Bush administration has so far withheld its backing but a senior aide to Sharon expressed confidence that it would be won round.

"There's a very good chance of coming to an agreement in Washington and contrary to the views expressed in the press the Americans have a positive view about the disengagement plan," he told AFP on condition of anonymity.