Israel's parliamentary elections take place tomorrow, with the country's future shape literally on the line. The state of Israeli-Palestinian borders will depend largely on who emerges victorious.

With the election quickly approaching, campus and community members are weighing in on what they expect for this pivotal outcome.

"Probably the single most important issue in this election is the policy that is adopted with regard to the Palestinian territories," said Arthur Goldschmidt, professor emeritus of Middle East history.

Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip began last August. How the disengagement continues will depend on who takes over as prime minister.

On Jan. 4, current Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke.

While there were reports of Sharon briefly opening his eyes, he remains in a comatose state and is not expected to recover.

Just a few months before his stroke, Sharon split from his conservative Likud Party to form a new centrist party, Kadima.

Kadima carried out the Israeli disengagement plan from Gaza last summer, and Ehud Olmert took over as acting prime minister in Sharon's absence.

With so much uncertainty, some are unsure about what to expect for tomorrow's elections.

Kadima's candidate and acting Prime Minister Olmert is expected to continue with Sharon's disengagement policy.

The more conservative Likud candidate, Benjamin Netanyahu, has vocalized a harder-line stance against the new Palestinian leadership, Hamas.

"Most people assume Olmert is going to be the next prime minister, but as we have seen in the past, many times these predictions just don't prove to be true," Goldschmidt said. "One out of every seven Israeli voters is Arab, and nobody quite knows what they're going to do."

Michal Naisteter, president of Peace in the Middle East, said this election was especially important because of the way it could change the shape of Israel.

"Israeli citizens will essentially cast a vote that may change their borders and create greater possibilities of peace with the Palestinians," she said.

Tuvia Abramson, executive director for Hillel: Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, said people should take special notice of this election.

"This is really a crucial election in Israel because there is clearly a fear in Israel," he said. "Israel is feeling very isolated in the world, and there is a feeling that 'if we are not for ourselves, who will be?' "

He added that with the rise of Hamas, this election is pivotal for the future security of Israel.

"In Hamas' covenant, it says its goal is to destroy the state of Israel," he said.

Abramson said even with this watershed election coming up, he has not noticed enough student participation or interest on campus.

"It seems to me on campus there is a very nonchalant approach to what is happening," he said.

"Many times in Happy Valley we are so isolated that we forget about the world around us," he added.

Abramson said that especially in light of the upcoming elections, Hillel has worked hard this year to promote Israeli awareness on campus.

Last month, it brought in acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's brother, Yossi Olmert, and in the days leading up to the election, the group is sponsoring a mock election online at www.caravanvotesforisrael.com.

"This election is crucial for so many reasons," Vicki Korchagin (sophomore-economics) said. "And there is so much misrepresentation in the media -- there is this image of Israel as totally war-torn, and it's definitely not true."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.