Pillay dedicated the prize to survivors of international crimes and urged world leaders to defend human rights and protect international courts from political attacks. In her initial reaction, she joked: “Thank you very much. If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump.”
The Nobel Committee honored Pillay for promoting peace and international law. The former UN human rights chief led a UN inquiry that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel rejects. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called her a “bigot” and accused her of spreading “blood libels” against Israel, while Trump amplified a statement calling her an “unabashed hater of America.”