# Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Former ICC Judge

> Former ICC judge Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize amid U.S. and Israeli backlash.
- Title: Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Former ICC Judge · Foreign Policy
- Summary: Former ICC judge Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize amid U.S. and Israeli backlash. Navi Pillay, a South African jurist, received the 2026 Nobel Peace…
- Keywords: navi pillay, icc, nobel peace prize, israel, gaza, united states, genocide, international criminal court, south africa, un human rights council, Nobel, Peace
- Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/10/09/nobel-peace-prize-navi-pillay-icc-israel-genocide-gaza-us-trump-sanctions
- Author: Alexandra Sharp
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: navi pillay, icc, nobel peace prize, israel, gaza, united states, genocide, international criminal court, south africa, un human rights council
## Nobel Peace Prize Awarded
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African-born jurist Navi Pillay for her work in human rights cases.
## U.S. and Israeli Criticism
Israel and the United States denounced Pillay's role on a UN panel that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza.
## Pillay's Background
Pillay began her career as a lawyer focused on segregation and exclusion, helping defend Nelson Mandela.
## International Roles
She served as a judge on South Africa’s High Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the International Criminal Court.
## Current Role
Pillay today sits as a judge on the International Court of Justice in a case accusing Myanmar of genocide.
## Gaza Genocide Panel
Last year, Pillay led a team that determined Israel committed genocide in Gaza through acts meeting Genocide Convention criteria.
## Panel Findings
The team concluded that Israeli authorities at the highest echelons bear responsibility for the atrocity crimes.
## Israel's Response
Israel refused to cooperate with the investigation and denounced its results.
## U.S. Response
The United States pulled out of the UN Human Rights Council in response to the panel's findings.
## U.S. Sanctions
On Friday, the United States added new sanctions on the ICC for bias against the United States and Israel.
## Trump's Statement
President Donald Trump called Pillay's award a shaming of the Nobel Committee and claimed no one deserved the prize more than himself.
## Nobel Committee's Stance
The Norwegian Nobel Committee argued that Pillay's recognition underscores the rule of law as essential for peace.
## Pillay's Response
Pillay warned that efforts to weaken international criminal justice risk returning to a world where power, not law, determines suffering.
## What Happens Next
The United States and Israel continue efforts to dismantle the International Criminal Court amid global criticism.
## Key takeaway

Navi Pillay, a South African jurist, received the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize after leading a UN panel that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza, drawing criticism from the U.S. and Israel.