Navi Pillay responded with humour to the controversy, joking that she might “share” her Nobel Peace Prize with Trump after the audience applauded her. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to receive the prestigious award.
BY PC Bureau
October 9: The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize has triggered a sharp reaction from US President Donald Trump, who criticised the Norwegian Nobel Committee after it awarded the prize to South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay.
Trump reposted a message attacking the decision and Pillay’s record, claiming the committee had “shamed itself beyond repair” and “demeaned” the prize by selecting her. The post described Pillay as “an unabashed hater of America and Israel” and accused her of having “celebrated terrorists and rewarded Hamas.” It also attacked her role in chairing a UN inquiry that concluded Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, calling the investigation phony. Israel has rejected the genocide finding.
Donald J. Trump ReTruthed Schoenlaw:
Today the Nobel Committee shamed itself beyond repair and demeaned the once great Nobel Peace Prize by giving it to the UN’s Navi Pillay. Pillay is an unabashed hater of America and Israel. In her position she celebrated terrorists and rewarded Hamas. She conducted a phony “investigation” claiming to find that Israel committed genocide and urging prosecution. She has no credibility in any normal sphere and has never done a thing to foster peace. Just the opposite. But what could be expected from a committee that previously gave the once coveted peace prize to Yasser Arafat?
President Trump gave us the Abraham Accords, which the world said would be impossible and is now expanding them! He brought home the hostages when all seemed hopeless! He is making best efforts to end the Russia/Ukraine war, to stop Iran, the number one sponsor of international terrorism, and he is trying to rebuild Gaza despite the terrorists’ best efforts to control it. The list goes on and on. These are the kinds of things the Nobel Peace Prize was intended to recognize and reward!!! realDonaldTrump( TS: Oct 9 2026, 9:25 AM ET )
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 9, 2026
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, announcing the award in Oslo on Friday, said Pillay was being honoured “for her efforts to promote peace and international law.” It credited her with helping establish mechanisms to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and said her career demonstrated how legal institutions can help prevent war and violence. The citation made no reference to Trump or Israel.
“I don’t believe it until I hear it from you!”
Listen to an exclusive call with our newest peace laureate Navi Pillay.
Pillay couldn’t believe that she had been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, was happy to confirm that the news was true.
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 9, 2026
Pillay, 85, responded to the controversy with humour while attending a legal gathering in Nuremberg, Germany, where she learned that she had won the prize.
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“If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump,” she joked, drawing laughter from the audience. Her remark appeared to allude to last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, María Corina Machado, who had said she would share her medal with Trump. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and was among the nominees this year.
Born into an Indian Tamil family in Durban during apartheid, Pillay became one of South Africa’s prominent human-rights jurists. She defended Nelson Mandela and other opponents of apartheid before becoming a judge on South Africa’s High Court.
Navi Pillay, Nobel Peace Prize winner: “If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump.” https://t.co/eeV0q8jjzO
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) October 9, 2026
Her international judicial career included service on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court. She later served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory until recently.
Pillay is also a judge at the International Court of Justice in the case in which Myanmar is accused of genocide against the Rohingya.
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