Navi Pillay, who accused Israel of genocide, wins Nobel Peace Prize

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Pillay has also been sharply critical of Israeli policy in Judea and Samaria. She condemned proposals by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to extend Israeli sovereignty over large parts of the territory, as well as plans for construction in the E1 area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim.

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Born in Durban, South Africa, in 1941 to a family of Indian Tamil descent, Pillay became the first non-white woman to open her own law practice in South Africa’s Natal Province, working during the apartheid era. She later became the first non-white woman appointed to South Africa’s High Court.

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Pillay served as a judge and later president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, established to prosecute those responsible for the 1994 genocide. She subsequently served as a judge at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

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From 2008 to 2014, she was the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.

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She currently serves as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in proceedings brought by The Gambia against Myanmar over allegations that the latter committed genocide against the Rohingya minority.

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Following Friday’s announcement, Pillay drew applause and laughter as she joked about U.S. President Donald Trump, who had also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Speaking at the historic Nuremberg courtroom in Germany, where Nazi leaders were tried after the Second World War, following Friday’s announcement, Pillay referred to her investigation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

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“The last thing I did was submit the report on Gaza,” she said, referring to the U.N. commission’s findings accusing Israel of genocide, and drawing applause from supporters.

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Pillay then quipped: “If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump.”

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A video of her remarks was posted on X by Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard.

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Pillay’s selection drew sharp criticism from Israeli and Jewish advocates. Michael Dickson, executive director of StandWithUs Israel, responded to the post by Callamard celebrating the award from the Nuremberg courtroom.

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“You and her belong in the Nuremberg Court — in the dock,” Dickson wrote on X. “What a stain on the Nobel Prize.”

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Michal Cotler-Wunsh, Israel’s special envoy for combating antisemitism, also slammed the decision and the symbolism of celebrating it at Nuremberg.

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“At the Nuremberg Court … I cannot think of a stronger symbol for the devastating collapse of the human rights institutions & principles you were entrusted to uphold & protect, equally & consistently,” she wrote. “Never again is now.”

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Cotler-Wunsh described Pillay as having headed a “biased indictment ‘inquiry’ of Israel” and said awarding her the Nobel Peace Prize represented a further “collapse of institutions & principles.”

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U.N. Watch executive director Hillel Neuer sharply criticized the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday for awarding the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Pillay.