A comparative study by the Levada Center and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs shows that about half of both Russians and Americans surveyed do not express sympathy for either side of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, however, support for the Israeli side is higher in the United States, and for the Palestinian side in Russia. Russians consider the actions of Hamas unjustified or find it difficult to formulate their attitude, while most Americans consider the actions of Hamas unjustified. At the same time, the majority of Russians consider Israel’s actions unjustified, whereas there is no unequivocal opinion on this issue in American society. About half of the respondents in both countries support the creation of an independent Palestinian state, although in the United States there is also a high proportion of respondents who oppose it. Respondents in Russia place the main responsibility for what is happening in the Middle East on the United States and to a lesser extent on Israel.

The majority of Russians are aware of the new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, about a third are closely following what is happening. The majority of respondents do not support either side of the conflict. At the same time, Palestinians are sympathized with more often than Israel, although even 14-15 years ago, sympathies were distributed approximately equally. The respondents, as before, lay the main responsibility for instability in the Middle East mainly on the United States and its allies.