Trump Reiterates Criticism of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Navi Pillay

Former President Trump re-posted a strong statement Friday criticizing the Nobel Committee's decision to award this year's Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, a former United Nations official who had accused Israel of genocide.

The statement, originally from the Schoen Law Firm based in Alabama and Georgia, asserted that Pillay is an "unabashed hater of America and Israel." It further alleged that in her previous role, Pillay "celebrated terrorists and rewarded Hamas" and conducted a "phony 'investigation' claiming to find that Israel committed genocide and urging prosecution." The statement questioned her credibility and claimed she had done nothing to foster peace.

Trump had not previously commented directly on Pillay's award, despite having previously stated that he deserved the prize for his mediation efforts in various global conflicts.

Pillay, a lawyer originally from South Africa, headed the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory from 2021 to 2025. In September 2025, this commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide during the Gaza war against Hamas.

The Israeli foreign ministry had also sharply criticized Pillay's award, comparing the situation to Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. The ministry stated that if an award existed for lies, hatred, and blood libels, Pillay would be a frontrunner. They characterized the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Pillay as a "grotesque weaponization of an award to legitimize anti-Israel hatred and prejudice."