Just to give you an idea of the greatness of Slavoj Žižek, his approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict is remarkably innovative and compassionate. He suggests that both parties should renounce political control of Jerusalem and turn it into an extra-state locale of religious freedom. Doing this would have many advantages. It would turn Jerusalem into the truly sacred site that it cannot be in the middle of a war. It also allows the Israelis and the Palestinians to see that both sides would be gaining.

It wouldn’t be easy. Žižek write, “Each of the two sides would have to realize that this renunciation of the ethnically ‘pure’ nation state is a liberation for themselves, not simply a sacrifice to be made for the other.” And that is the crux of the problem: self-identification. Every religious group thinks it is special and cut off from the others (the great “unwashed,” for example). Thus, I think that solution is great, but it does beg the question: if they were tolerant of dissent and open-minded about other religions, there would be no problem.

Still, Žižek shows he understands the situation:

It is interesting how people are inclined to use their religious identities for political goals while ignoring what wisdom is to be found in their religions.