Israel's government sharply criticized the awarding of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, a South African human rights lawyer who chaired a United Nations commission that accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry denounced the decision Friday, accusing the Norwegian Nobel Committee of turning a prestigious international award into a platform for anti-Israel hostility.

“If there were an award for lies, hatred, and blood libels, Navi Pillay wouldn't just be a contender. She'd be a frontrunner,” the ministry wrote on X. The ministry further accused Pillay of participating in what it described as a politically motivated campaign to demonize Israel and promote allegations of genocide. The ministry invoked Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels in its condemnation, writing that he would be applauding the Nobel Committee's decision from hell.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the award, arguing that the committee had abandoned its responsibility to recognize genuine contributions to peace.

“The Nobel Committee has lost its moral compass,” Netanyahu said. He accused Pillay of building her career around what he called blood libels against Israel, the world's only Jewish state.

Pillay chaired the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. In September, the commission concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly rejected the allegation, maintaining that its military campaign was directed against Hamas following the terrorist group's October 7, 2023, massacre and attacks on Israeli civilians.

President Donald Trump also weighed in on the controversy Friday, reposting a statement from attorney David Schoen's law firm that condemned the Nobel Committee's decision.

“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,” the statement declared.

The post also highlighted Trump's diplomatic record, including the Abraham Accords and his efforts to resolve international conflicts.

The controversy unfolded alongside escalating tensions between Washington and international legal institutions. Hours after the Nobel announcement, the Trump administration announced sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court, which has faced criticism from Israel and its supporters over its actions involving Israeli officials.

ICC President Tomoko Akane defended the recognition, telling Politico that the award underscored the importance of international justice.

“This is an important recognition of the vital role that international justice plays as a cornerstone of lasting peace,” Akane said.

The Nobel Committee defended its decision by emphasizing the relationship between justice and peace, declaring, “Peace requires justice.”

The award has intensified the dispute over international legal proceedings involving Israel, with Israeli officials arguing that the recognition rewards a figure associated with allegations they firmly reject. Pillay's supporters, meanwhile, frame the commission's work as an effort to hold governments accountable under international law.