"Democracy is the worst form of government," Winston Churchill once noted, "except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." And that's the whole story.

Today is a celebration of democracy here. Millions of voters are going to the polls. In a few hours we will know who has been elected by the Israeli people. Many will celebrate, many will grieve.

Now, a few hours before the end, we can all together worship at the altar of this miracle called Israeli democracy. It is a magnificent tree with no visible roots. Where do all of our democrats and their ancestors hail from? From Russia of the cruel Tzars, from Yemen of the kings of darkness, from Poland of Marshal Pilsudski, from Morocco of His Majesty, from the Soviet Union of Stalin the terrible, from Palestine of the High Commissioner. Neither the Jewish Shtetl in Europe nor the Jewish Melah in the Moslem countries were democratic.

So where has this democracy sprung from? Just like the rebirth of the Hebrew language, it is a miracle. It grew out of our parents' desire to establish on this soil an ideal society, one to be the subject of envy and admiration for the world. Something different, something better. They succeeded. Israeli democracy has withstood severe trials, from the storming of the Knesset by the Herut hordes inflamed by Begin in the fight against German reparations, to the vrbal assault on the Court by Deri supporters.

Let us thank God (who has never been a democrat) for being able to claim as ours one of the few countries in the protective shade of democracy, at a time when the vast majority of humanity is groaning under the rule of military and civilian despots, armed bands, secret police and ideological mafias. (And let us not forget that we ourselves are maintaining a system of suppression in the occupied territories.)

But, in the words of the great Churchill, democracy is a bad system. This election campaign demonstrates just how bad.

Paradox number one: When there are two equally strong camps facing each other (as it happens here, in the U.S., and in many other countries), both are forced to hunt for the "floating" votes. The result is that both camps begin to speak the same language, concealing their true identity. Both leaders know that they can rely on their loyal voting blocs, and that the propaganda must be directed at those floating voters, some of whom have no opinion or knowledge (which is why they are still "floating" at such a late stage). This is the price of democracy: A small number of citizens, and in particular those most ignorant in politics, who do not read newspapers and who do not exhibit any interest in politics throughout the year, who may have arrived at our shores only yesterday and who are not cognizant of our problems, are the ones who may determine today's outcome.

Paradox number two: Of all voters, it is many of the most politically aware voters who intend to vote with a blank ballot today. To those one can apply the English saying, "Cutting off your nose to spite your face." If the candidates and the present parties are not to their liking -- let them get up tomorrow morning, roll up their sleeves and work in the coming four years in order to bring up different candidates and create new parties. Instead of griping and ranting, let them demonstrate in the streets instead, establish new organizations, found new publications, embark on campaigns of information. In short, utilize all the means which democracy puts at their disposal. And let them bless their luck for that democracy.

Paradox number 3: Democracy is based on the principle of freedom of expression for all, even for its enemies. And so it happens that in today's elections there are those participants whose expressed goal is the destruction of democracy. There are those who wish to abolish the right of the majority to legislate, for the sake of a 2,200 year-old Torah and a medieval Halacha (religious law). Others seek to deny civil rights to Arab citizens, who comprise 20% of our population. All of these partake in celebrating the very democracy which they are trying to destroy. It is worth noting: The gravedigger of German democracy was elected in a democratic manner.

Paradox number 4: The skills required for governing a state are different from those required to win an election. But those who want to govern the state must first be elected. Soon we shall know whether we have elected the person in whose hands we can entrust with relative confidence the steering of our ship of state.

Today is the true day of celebration for our country. Not the Day of Independence, which has lost its meaning. Not the days of mourning which have turned into routine events, but today, when we determine with our own hands our destiny, for good or for bad.