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WASHINGTON (UPI) -- About five million Israeli voters are going to the polls this Tuesday to cast their ballots in what has been described at the same time as one of the country's most decisive and most apathetic elections.

Unlike previous elections since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, where a plethora or subjects, ranging from the economy to immigration, have traditionally dominated the electoral campaigns, this time around the voters seem to be preoccupied by only one topic: security. The man Israelis believe can offer them greater security in the face of mounting Palestinian militancy is the man they will elect to lead them at this crucial time in the country's history.

Indeed, as Israelis make their way to the voting booths this Tuesday, they do so for the first time with a Palestinian government composed of fundamentalist Islamists from Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, a group whose charter calls for the annihilation of Israel. Unlike past threats that Israel has had to face from enemies across its borders, this time the enemy is at the gates -- quite literally.

Hamas, who won the majority of seats in the last legislative elections in the Palestinian territories in January, continues to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. The group has promised to present their complete list of government ministers for approval to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas by Wednesday, by which time the winner of Israel's election should be known.

So far, since they emerged victorious in the January elections, Hamas has been cautious not to antagonize Israel, and barring some minor incidents, they have avoided a head-on confrontation. And thankfully, Israel has also shown restraint in not rushing to conclusions and resorting to military means as the only form of dialog with the Palestinians. Despite urging from many Israelis to pull up the drawbridges and retrench inside fortress Israel, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has played it safe.

Yes, there was that nasty business regarding the Jericho prison a few weeks ago when the Palestinians hinted that they would release a handful of prisoners detained in the Jericho jail. Under a previous agreement reached between Israel and the Palestine Authority, the Palestinian detainees, who were found guilty by Israeli courts of acts of terrorism, were to be detained in Jericho and kept under British and American supervision.

Israel immediately flexed its military and political muscle, stormed the jail and grabbed the detainees who were about to abscond after the international observers left the prison, saying they had feared for their safety.

With the Jericho prison escapade the Palestinians had tested the resolve of acting Prime Minister Olmert. He, in return, demonstrated to Hamas that despite his lack of military upbringing, he could still be firm when Israel's security was in play. At the same time it allowed Olmert to silence his political opponents, who used his lack of military experience against him, hoping it would disadvantage him in the polls.

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