INTERVIEW - ‘You’re not alone, the truth will come out’: Nobel winner Navi Pillay on global support for Palestinians

2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate draws parallels with int'l action against apartheid in South Africa, calls for collective pressure to end violations against Palestinians The former UN rights chief stresses states' duty to prevent genocide, criticizes international inaction, and urges governments to oppose US sanctions on ICC Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay said Palestinians seeking justice are not alone and the truth will emerge, urging the international community to draw lessons from the collective action and economic sanctions that helped end apartheid in her native South Africa. In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Pillay, judge at the International Court of Justice and a former UN human rights chief, reflected on her experience fighting apartheid and the importance of international support for Palestinians amid continuing concerns over accountability for violations in the Gaza Strip. "I imagine I'm correct in saying that even though Palestinians are struggling for their freedom for more than 90 years now, attention by the international community and support by the international community would be of great significance for them," she told Anadolu. "The message being, you're not alone. That with information and correct information, the truth will come out." Pillay, 85, who was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize for her contributions to international justice, chaired a UN commission of inquiry, which concluded last year that Israel committed genocide in Gaza. Recalling her experience under apartheid, she said South African lawyers fought a lonely struggle with little international attention. "We really had very little relief. And honestly, the rest of the world didn't pay attention to us," she said. The rights lawyer said a UN commission gathering evidence and presenting its findings internationally would have greatly helped Black South Africans at that time. Palestine needs same level of economic sanctions, collective action that helped end apartheid Pillay stressed the importance of identifying the root causes of Palestinian suffering, and reiterated her commission's finding that Israel's unlawful occupation was the root cause of the longstanding conflict. She criticized governments for increasingly prioritizing their political and regional interests over their responsibilities to maintain international peace and justice. She said the UN Security Council already possessed mechanisms to respond to violations, including peacekeeping operations, investigative commissions, mediation and economic sanctions. "The principal tool they have is to impose sanctions, economic sanctions against governments that are violating international human rights law, international humanitarian law, they've used this before," she said. Questioning the international community's response to Gaza, Pillay said: "So, the question that civil society is asking: 'Why are you sitting back and doing nothing in the face of huge violations that we, the people, can see daily? We can see genocide being committed on our television screens'." "And I am as unhappy as most people that there has been so little action," she added. Drawing on South Africa's experience, where apartheid ended in 1994, Pillay emphasized the decisive role of international economic pressure. "Apartheid came to an end mainly because of the economic sanctions imposed by the Security Council, by the United Nations against the apartheid government," she said. "I never thought apartheid will end in my lifetime, but it's this collective action by governments, by businesses, and civil society all over the world that brought an end to apartheid." Pillay said she had been hoping for similar international cooperation in response to the situation in Gaza. "I've been hopefully looking for and calling for that level of cooperation, that level of condemnation of the huge violations and killings of Palestinians," she said. Doing nothing 'unacceptable' Asked whether Israel's growing international isolation and sanctions targeting settlers in the occupied West Bank could help end its impunity, Pillay said such developments could contribute to broader collective action. "The one thing we cannot accept is doing nothing," she said. Recalling Nelson Mandela's position that South Africans could not fully enjoy freedom while Palestinians remained oppressed and occupied, she said Palestinians were seeking measures similar to those used against apartheid. "Palestinians are calling for the kind of action that was taken to end apartheid. They see the value of economic boycotts," she said. She also referred to protests by Israelis against efforts to weaken the country's Supreme Court, urging governments to respect civilians' right to protest and cooperate with international criminal investigations. She stressed that international legal principles must be applied consistently, without selectivity or bias, particularly when civilians are suffering. States have a duty to prevent genocide Pillay emphasized that governments, rather than international organizations alone, bear responsibility for preventing genocide. "The Genocide Convention is very clear. The duty is on every state to prevent genocide," she said. "That's a purpose; it's not to react to genocide and to punish the alleged perpetrators. The main reason is to prevent, because it's an intolerable crime when a whole group is being destroyed in whole or in part." About the potential legal responsibility of governments supplying weapons, intelligence or political support despite warnings of serious violations, Pillay said the states themselves established international conventions and treaties. "They set the standards. Now they must implement them without selection," she said, arguing that governments were failing to apply their own commitments because of political interests. Pillay recalled that her UN commission had urged the General Assembly to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory. She welcomed the court's opinion in 2024, which found Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful, and outlined obligations concerning Palestinian rights. She, however, acknowledged that legal proceedings offered limited immediate relief to people suffering on the ground. "I agree; they're not very helpful to relieve their immediate dire situation," she said. "Let's use international law to assert and realize the rights of people who are oppressed everywhere in the world." UN system 'very skewed' On shortcomings of the international system and its eroding credibility, Pillay pointed to the dominance of governments within the UN and the shrinking space for civil society. "Certainly, the system is very skewed. Who controls the United Nations? It's member states, it's governments," she said, urging UN members to conduct their affairs in closer cooperation with civil society organizations. Global opposition to US sanctions on ICC a must Turning to Washington's measures against the International Criminal Court (ICC), Pillay called on governments, including those outside the Rome Statute, to oppose the campaign. "I would like to see states of the world, the member states, whether they're parties to the Rome Statute or not, to condemn the unlawful measures and sanctions that the United States is imposing on this court," she said. "We should say roundly that it's unacceptable, and then we all have the responsibility to help the court to overcome these obstacles." The former ICC judge expressed confidence that the court's staff would continue their work despite mounting political pressure. "They're not going to stop doing what they are doing because they are working out of commitment. They believe that it is possible to realize justice for all," she said. Nobel Prize a 'wonderful surprise' Reflecting on receiving the Nobel, Pillay described the recognition as unexpected and deeply meaningful. "This award was a huge surprise to me, but a wonderful surprise," she said. She expressed gratitude that the Nobel Committee had recognized different aspects of her decades-long career, from challenging apartheid to advancing international justice. "You don't win a case all the time. You win some. You lose many, especially under apartheid South Africa," she said. Pillay described the committee's recognition of her work as a "memorable moment," saying she appreciated its efforts to examine her contributions to international peace and justice.