Russia's "soft power" strategies in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at the present stage

Abstract

The article analyzes the strategies of Russia's policy in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which the authors describe as a vivid example of the use of "soft power". The novelty of the article lies in the fact that for the first time the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is considered through the prism of three strategies - political, legal, and socio-cultural. The authors refer to mediation, the provision of a platform for negotiations, the proposal of multilateral formats of interaction, and dialogue for all parties interested in conflict resolution as political instruments of Russia's "soft power" policy. The role of a mediator and a platform for dialogue between the parties to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as an instrument of "soft power" allows Russia to implement its strategy of maintaining official contacts with both the Palestinian Fatah administration and Hamas. The authors attribute the difficulties in promoting Russia's progressive role as an intermediary for developing a unified Palestinian platform to the different understanding of the nature of the Hamas movement by Russia and the West. Russia's legal rhetoric, based on the norms of international law, condemning violence on both sides of the conflict, highlights the significant scale of the humanitarian catastrophe, calls for a cease-fire, humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians, and legitimizes the formation of a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East region. The development of socio-cultural ties and the provision of humanitarian assistance expand Russia's arsenal of means of influencing the parties of the conflict. The partnership between Russia and these countries is carried out through the diplomatic missions of the countries, public organizations, foundations, and educational institutions. Together, political, legal, and socio-cultural strategies allow Russia to create an image of an independent player and strengthen its status as a great power in the international arena.