The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded in Oslo on Friday to South African jurist Navi Pillay, known for her anti-Israel positions. Pillay served as the UN’s fifth High Commissioner for Human Rights and held senior positions in the international judicial system over the course of her career.
Pillay also served as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and as a judge at the International Criminal Court. She is known in Israel for her radical positions against the Jewish state.
In the past, she has accused Israel of committing “war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity" in Gaza, as she put it.
The criteria for the prize state that it should be awarded to a person who has done the most or the best to promote fraternity among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and advancement of peace conferences.
Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her struggle for democracy in her country.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a fierce reaction to Pillay's selection to win the prize, saying that "if there were an award for lies, hatred, and blood libels," she "wouldn’t just be a contender. She’d be a frontrunner."
According to the Foreign Ministry, Pillay's role in the "relentless, politically motivated demonization of Israel and promotion of the 'genoLIE' speaks volumes."
The Ministry stated that awarding Pillay the Nobel Peace Prize isn’t a recognition of justice; "It’s the grotesque weaponization of an award to legitimize anti-Israel hatred and prejudice."
The statement concludes with especially harsh criticism: "Now that the Nobel commission has rewarded the biggest lie of the 21st century, Joseph Goebbels is certainly applauding from hell."