Nobel Peace Prize Award to Navi Pillay Sparks Outrage in Israel

A Ynet columnist has criticized the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, calling it a sign of the "progressive international community" reaching a new low and a moment of decline for international bodies. The columnist, Ben-Dror Yemini, writing on October 11, argues that Pillay, described as a prominent propagandist of hatred towards Israel, has been recognized not for her achievements but for her central role in promoting hostility against the Jewish state. The article highlights the disproportionate number of UN resolutions against Israel, stating that from 2015 to 2026, the UN General Assembly passed 187 resolutions against Israel compared to 90 against all other countries combined. The UN Human Rights Council is singled out as particularly anti-Israel, with its members often expected to demonstrate hostility towards the country. Pillay, who headed a commission investigating the situation in the territories and Israel, presented a report on September 22, 2024, that mentioned Israel 277 times but did not mention Hamas or terrorism. She later led another commission that produced a report in March 2025 accusing Israel of systematic sexual and gender-based violence since October 7, 2023. The article notes that most Western countries did not support these commissions. UN Watch, led by Hillel Neuer, has reportedly investigated Pillay's actions. Pillay also prepared a September 2025 report accusing Israel of genocide. The piece mentions Richard Falk and Francesca Albanese as other figures promoting anti-Israel sentiment. Despite her nominal role as a temporary judge for Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, Pillay continues to speak about Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry reacted to the Nobel Committee's decision by stating that Joseph Goebbels would be smiling in hell, echoing the columnist's sentiment that George Orwell would also be turning in his grave. The Palestinian Authority, however, welcomed the decision.