Israel Slams Nobel Committee for Peace Prize Award to Navi Pillay

Israel's Foreign Ministry has launched a sharp attack against the Nobel Committee's decision to award the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, who previously headed a UN commission that accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. In an official statement released Friday, the ministry accused Pillay of spreading lies, hatred, and blood libels against Israel, asserting that her selection legitimizes prejudice.

The ministry stated that Pillay has actively promoted political incitement against Israel and disseminated false accusations throughout her career. The statement further criticized the Nobel Committee, claiming the award does not recognize justice but rather harnesses the prize's prestige to legitimize hatred and prejudice against Israel. The ministry's condemnation reached a peak with an unprecedented comparison to Nazi propaganda, referencing Josef Goebbels, Nazi Germany's propaganda minister, stating that he must be applauding from hell.

Pillay, a South African jurist and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, led an independent commission of inquiry by the UN Human Rights Council that investigated Israel and the Palestinian territories. In September 2025, this commission published a report alleging that Israel committed genocide in the Gaza Strip and attributed responsibility to senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, based on their statements.

Israel had vehemently rejected the report's findings, accusing the commission of anti-Israel bias and of ignoring the security circumstances and the war against Hamas following the October 7th attack. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, however, chose Pillay for her long-standing work in promoting human rights, international law, and combating crimes against humanity, citing her prominent roles in international legal bodies and her involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa.