The Woman Who Beat Out Trump and Zelenskyy for the Nobel Peace Prize… and Other Less Redeemable Anecdotes 

ACCORDING TO LIZ - Last Friday Donald Trump whined about not winning the Nobel peace prize for 2026, a year in which he started a war with Iran and directed numerous acts of violence against people living under his rule. And far too many outside his jurisdiction.

Posting on (un)Truth Social, “In actuality, I should have won 8 Nobel Peace Prizes, not just 1.”

At a Republican rally in Syracuse, New York, he bellyached: “The United States of America, represented by me as your president, should have received the Nobel peace prize, but didn’t. And this is an indelible stain on the country of Norway, and those people that made such a disgraceful and embarrassing decision.”

Totally embarrassing. Along with threatening the Fourth Estate with violating anti-trust laws for not covering his bombast after he refused to permit access to some of their number.

While the Ukrainian leader focused on protecting his people from the Russian incursions, still dragging on, and berated the American president for doing a diesel deal with cash-starved Putin, suspending sanctions and funneling millions of dollars to fund the ongoing murder of Ukrainian civilians. 

Followed by more politics by social media posting with Trump announcing “Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine. Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!”

With Trump demanding Ukraine replace its president for its strikes on Russian oil refineries, Zelenskyy agreed to consider a ceasefire provided Putin did the same while Russia, flush with the promise of American taxpayer dollars, not only refused but escalated attacks.

None Nobel-winning moments.

Add to all that the irony of the United States imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court just hours after Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The ⁠ICC’s deputy prosecutor condemned the sanctions and said they would not halt the tribunal’s work.

Navi Pillay, former U.N. Human Rights Commissioner, was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. For good reason.

She is the South African lawyer who chaired the international investigation that determined that Israel was, indeed, guilty of genocide in Gaza. A determination for which she was lauded for her courage. And to which the Israeli government vehemently objected.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee identified Pillay’s efforts as having “significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law… show[ing] that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence.” Underlining that the choice of recipient was “a message to those who are attacking and undermining international law.”

The most guilty clearly being Israel which had refused to cooperate with the commission, rejecting its report as “scandalous” and has now reacting vociferously and angrily to the announcement of Pillay’s award.

Also blameworthy, a mishmash of unsavory world characters from Trump and Putin to Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, from the authoritarianism of Myanmar to anarchy in Sudan, and to Erik Prince’s shadow war in Congo. 

With a limited ability to strike out at South Africa, Trump embraced his longstanding adulation of Putin. 

Along with his cash-for-diesel gift – extremely unlikely to materially reduce consumer prices, came vaporization of intelligence-sharing about bombardments directed at Ukrainian infrastructure and cities, and a mysteriously throttling back of Pentagon-controlled Starlink-type access for proactive counterattacks on Russia. 

Mind-boggling since it plays into Putin’s paws, escalating the death and destruction, putting Trump’s putative European allies at further military and economic risk, sinking what little respect for America remains in the international community. 

And among Republican leaders.

What has Trump ever done but make but mostly lose money – his own and ours, objectify and abuse women, and promote racial hatred?

In contrast, the Nobel Prize committee underscored that “Navi Pillay’s commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass are constants in a long career.” She defended Nelson Mandela under South Africa’s apartheid regime early in her career before gaining universal respect for her work on the international criminal tribunal and then in human rights.

“Her independence, expertise and steadfastness have made her one of the most respected international jurists of our time.” 

Pillay’s response? “Why would you need courage to speak the truth. You interpret the law. You look at all the facts, so it’s an impartial decision.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry’s reply? “If there were an award for lies, hatred, and blood libels, Navi Pillay wouldn’t just be a contender. She’d be a frontrunner… Now that the Nobel commission has rewarded the biggest lie of the 21st century, Joseph Goebbels is certainly applauding from hell.” 

Right out of the Trump playbook of egregious lies and doubling down on insults and spiteful retaliation.

After the president’s nose was put out of joint by his first failure to win the coveted Peace Prize, his administration instituted personal sanctions against ICC members, the court on which Pillay once served. The recent follow-up targeted the ICC as an institution; blocking its assets here and giving American companies and individuals six months to cease all business with the court.

Peace requires justice and shared values, something sadly lacking in the current administration. And before, with many Democrats also embracing a blinkered view of human rights abuses by both Israel and the United States.

South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, celebrated: “Justice Pillay’s crowning as winner of the Nobel prize allows us to celebrate the progressive contributions she has made to strengthen peace, uphold human dignity and bring hope in South Africa and to peoples globally.”

Her countrymen, Albert Luthuli, Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela, preceded her as Nobel recipients, all for their work daring to promote peace and standing up against apartheid. As human rights lawyer Yasmin Sooka points out, Pillay has now taken “South Africa’s proud tradition of linking peace with justice and human dignity” to the international level.

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner promotes a powerful message: in the face of injustice, human rights must be enforced universally, transcending the ideologies, ethnicities, or geopolitical interests of those who commit violations.

(Liz Amsden is a former Angeleno now living in Vermont and a regular CityWatch contributor. She writes on issues she’s passionate about, including social justice, government accountability, and community empowerment. Liz brings a sharp, activist voice to her commentary and continues to engage with Los Angeles civic affairs from afar. She can be reached at [email protected].)