Israel to set borders after consulting US: Olmert

As police began deploying in their thousands across the country ahead of Tuesday's pivotal ballot, politicians from all sides sought to counter voter apathy which threatens to lead to an historically low turnout.

Kadima party leader Olmert, acting premier since his mentor Ariel Sharon suffered a brain haemorrhage in January, is the overwhelming favourite to win the Jewish state's 17th general election which he has made a de-facto referendum on his project to redraw the country's borders.

In the continued absence of any progress in the peace process with the Palestinians, Olmert has already pledged to make fixing the borders the top priority of his next administration.

The Palestinians have already warned Israel not to try to pre-empt a final status agreement but Olmert believes that international pressure can be mobilised to achieve his goal.

"We should decide on our borders in order to separate ourselves from the Palestinians," said Olmert in an interview with Israeli public radio.

"We should have agreement among ourselves on the borders and then negotiate with the international community," he said, adding that he believed he could win the backing of Washington and the international community for his project.

"I have reason to believe that there is great openness both in the United States and in other countries to listen to our arguments and to debate them in seriousness," said Olmert.

The government's pullout of troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip last summer was hugely controversial -- the first time that Jews had ever been uprooted from occupied Palestinian territory -- and Olmert is keen to firewall himself against accusations that he is splitting the country.

Polls already indicate broad public backing for the evacuation of isolated enclaves and the simultaneous cementing of control on the big Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank.

Given the entry into power of the radical Islamist movement Hamas after January's elections in the West Bank and Gaza, Olmert has argued that the need to separate from the Palestinians is greater than ever.

The plan of separation would ensure "that at no point will we be hostage to the will of the Palestinians", he said.

Olmert's belief that he can secure US backing for his border plan stems in part from assurances that US President George W. Bush had given Sharon over the Gaza pullout by stating it was "unrealistic" to expect the uprooting of all of 240,000 Israelis living in the West Bank.