The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to South African judge and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
What happened
Pillay, who currently serves as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice, has been a vocal critic of Israel and has denounced the country for alleged genocide in Gaza. Her comments have been met with strong criticism from Israel, with the Israeli Foreign Ministry describing her as a frontrunner for an award for lies, hatred, and blood libels.
The Nobel Committee's decision to award Pillay the prize has been seen as a political move, with some critics arguing that it is intended to send a message to President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pillay has a long history of involvement in human rights issues, including serving as the first non-white female judge on South Africa's highest court and leading an international tribunal investigating the Rwandan genocide.
U.N. Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer expressed shock at the award, citing Pillay's troubling record on antisemitism and her breach of ethics in presiding over a notorious U.N. commission. Neuer noted that Pillay had publicly pronounced herself on issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before accepting a role as chair of a U.N. Commission of Inquiry, compromising her impartiality.
Pillay's award has also been seen as a rebuke to the United States, which has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court. The Trump administration has slammed the court for unfairly harassing the U.S. and its allies, including Israel.
