US President Donald Trump on Friday reshared a post attacking 2026 Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay, calling the South African jurist an “unabashed hater of America and Israel” after she was awarded the honour.The post, written by David Schoen, Trump’s former impeachment lawyer, criticised the Norwegian Nobel Committee for selecting Pillay and accused her of celebrating terrorists and rewarding Hamas. It also described a United Nations investigation she led into Israel’s actions in Gaza as “phony”.This came after Pillay joked about Trump’s Nobel ambitions while receiving congratulations from colleagues. “If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump,” she said, drawing laughter. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in winning the prestigious award.Pillay, 85, is of Indian Tamil origin and was born in Durban, South Africa, during the apartheid era. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law, with the committee highlighting her work to ensure that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.A former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Pillay also defended Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists early in her legal career.The post defended Trump’s own record, citing the Abraham Accords and his efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and rebuild Gaza. Trump has long expressed interest in winning the Nobel Peace Prize but was passed over for the honour for a second consecutive year.Pillay chaired a UN commission of inquiry that concluded Israel was committing genocide in Gaza in a report published last year. Israel has rejected the finding and criticised the commission’s conclusions.In announcing the award, the Nobel Committee said Pillay had played an important role in ensuring accountability for international crimes.
