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A growing number of Western countries are reconsidering their policy on recognizing Palestinian statehood, as the war in Gaza creates a renewed push for a two-state solution to bring about lasting peace with Israel.

The U.S. State Department is reviewing options for a possible recognition of a Palestinian state, Axios reported, potentially in exchange for normalized relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

EU officials have emphasized that a two-state solution is the only credible solution to the conflict. And British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said last month that there should be “irreversible progress” towards the creation of a Palestinian state – although a government spokesperson said his comments did not represent a change in policy.

Even so, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled down on his opposition to a fully independent Palestinian state, saying he “will not compromise on full Israeli security control” over Gaza and the West Bank.

A nascent Biden Middle East strategy may include Palestinian statehood

In an article for Foreign Affairs written shortly before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan wrote that the Middle East was “quieter today than it has been in two decades.” (The words have since been removed from the online version of the article.) For critics, the words were an indictment of the Biden administration’s lack of focus on the Middle East. But there are growing signs that a new “Biden doctrine” is emerging to tackle the growing crisis, with a demilitarized Palestinian state a central strand, The New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman wrote. Biden administration officials have been talking to experts inside and outside the U.S. government to establish how such a state might look, he wrote.

Opinions are split on impact of potential US recognition

Josh Paul, a former State Department official who resigned in protest over U.S. arms transfers to Israel following the Hamas attack, wrote in an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times that U.S. recognition of Palestinian statehood would create a more even playing field for negotiations, moving the focus from “the occupier and the occupied” to “two entities that are equal in the eyes of international law.” But recognition alone will have little impact unless Israel agrees to work towards a two-state solution, Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, wrote on X. The only way U.S. recognition of an independent Palestine would make a real difference is if “it’s accompanied by serious pressure/punitive measures on Israel,” Carlstrom wrote on X.

Israeli opposition to an independent Palestine goes deeper than Netanyahu

Netanyahu and his rightwing administration are to blame for the lack of progress towards a two-state solution, two former Israeli officials and an entrepreneur-activist argue in Foreign Affairs, stating that “partition, despite the security risks it might pose, is essential to preserve Israel’s identity as a democratic state for the Jewish people.” But even a moderate Israeli government that supported a two-state solution would find their ability to act in the short term limited by “the Israeli public’s utter lack of faith that they can live safely alongside a Palestinian state,” according to Israeli political scientist Jonathan Rynhold.

One Gallup poll conducted in the weeks after Hamas’ attack on Israel showed that only 25% of Israelis supported a two-state solution, while 65% were against it. Given the widespread fear and trauma in Israel, talk of a two-state solution is “nothing more than grand posturing,” a former Israeli official wrote in Haaretz.

Stonewall-approved law firm accused of hypocrisy for opening Saudi Arabia office

Riyadh Saudi Arabia.

A British law firm praised by Stonewall for its commitment to LGBT+ rights is facing a backlash from staff over plans to open a new office in Saudi Arabia.

Simmons & Simmons, which describes itself as being as the “forefront of driving LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace”, has been criticised over plans to launch a new office in a country where homosexuality is criminalised.

The City law firm, which already has offices in Qatar and Dubai, last week unveiled plans to open a new office in Riyadh in an effort to strengthen ties to the Middle East.

The expansion comes despite Simmons & Simmons’ commitment to LGBT+ rights. It has been ranked as a top employer by LGBT+ charity Stonewall.

Under Saudi Arabia’s interpretation of Islamic law, homosexuality can be punished by death.

Staff have reportedly accused Simmons & Simmons of prioritising its commercial interests over its commitment to LGBT+ values.

One lawyer told the legal blog Roll on Friday: “How do you square a ‘commitment to inclusion’ as a next generation law firm with a new office in KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]?”

“Apparently by determining that this is a ‘complex’ issue in a jurisdiction that routinely utilises capital punishment for members of its queer community.”

In an internal FAQ sheet shared with employees, Simmons & Simmons said: “If we are to be a credible international firm, we have to be truly international - that does not mean we agree with all the customs or laws in the countries in which we operate.

“It is also important to note that discussions around LGBTQ+ rights in Saudi Arabia are complex and often involve a delicate balance between cultural traditions, religious beliefs and international human rights standards.”

A Simmons & Simmons spokesman said: “As with all international businesses, we operate in a number of diverse regions, some with different local customs and laws.

”We have strict processes in place to ensure that all mandates we take on align with our values and those same processes will be applied here.”

Simmons & Simmons joins the rush of major UK law firms looking to gain a foothold in Saudi Arabia after the kingdom overhauled rules governing foreign law firms.