They called it apartheid. The ballot box called them liars. Arab and Muslim parties are winning 17 seats in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. Arab turnout was above 70% in town after town. Wait, I thought Zionists were racist, so how come these “racists” are giving parliamentary seats to Arabs and Muslims, who, in turn, came out to vote? Some villages hit 90% turnout. They democratically participated and voted in a Zionist democratic system they believe in? Arabs now hold about 14% of Israel’s parliament. Muslim MPs hold about 4% of Britain’s. Odd kind of apartheid, where the “oppressed” vote harder than London does.

Today, Israel votes. Iran is watching. Hamas is watching. Hezbollah is watching. And the world is watching something rather beautiful: after the genocide of October 7, Israelis return not to bullets, but to ballots. This is Israel’s first national election since the Hamas Muslim Brotherhood terrorist attack of October 7, 2023. Jews. Muslims. Arabs. Christians. Druze. Baháʼís. Atheists. Different prayers. Different histories. Different politics. One ballot box. They will argue. Of course they will. They are Israelis. Arguing could practically qualify as a national sport. But today, they choose. Whatever the Israeli people decide, respect it. It is their country, their democracy, and their choice. Democracy is not: I respect the people only when they elect my side. Democracy is accepting that your neighbour’s ballot weighs exactly as much as yours, even when you hate what they wrote on it. After October 7, Hamas tried to write Israel’s future with blood. Today, Israelis write it with a pen. That difference is everything. May Israelis choose their future freely. And may the West have the maturity to respect what they choose.