A London newsstand. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict ranked third on a new list — published by a UK children’s magazine — of the “top 10 current affairs topics misunderstood by British adults,” the Daily Mail reported on Monday.

The list was based on a survey of 2,000 British adults, conducted by The Week Junior. According to the results, the two most mystifying news issues to grown-up Brits are Russian foreign policy and international finance markets.

Following the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the list were: the Syrian conflict; Islamic State; grammar schools/academic reforms; fracking; Brexit; cyber-attacks; and the US election.

According to the Daily Mail, the survey found that 40% of British adults “attempt to steer discussions away from hot topics to avoid being left red-faced.”

When it comes to US politics, more than a third of British adults “admitted they had little idea of what the Democrats and Republicans stood for,” the Daily Mail reported.

Also, the report said, “only a third were aware that the terms ISIS, ISIL, the Islamic State and Daesh all refer to the same terrorist organization.”

Anna Bassi — editor of The Week Junior — was quoted as saying, “It’s a shame that so many adults avoid broaching the big issues. The inquisitive nature of children means they are willing to ask questions to solve a conversational problem — so adults need to be able to answer them, rather than avoid the subject altogether.”

As reported by The Algemeiner, a new poll published last week found that opposition to the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is growing in the United Kingdom.