Criminal Israeli Extremist To Get Nobel Prize?

Right, so the Nobel Peace Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious awards, is intended to honour individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to peace, justice, and human rights. Therefore, the recent nomination of Daniella Weiss, the far right Israeli settler leader and head of the Nachala movement, for the Nobel Peace Prize has as you might expect sparked outrage and disbelief. Weiss, who has openly advocated for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, has a criminal record for affray, and has been instrumental in promoting illegal settlements in the occupied territories, she is literally the antithesis of what the Nobel Peace Prize stands for, but then you can argue that Israel’s entire ideology is antithesis to that and that is borne out by those who have nominated here, being two high profile academics at two prestigious Israeli Universities – well, maybe not so prestigious anymore. This nomination carries significant implications for the integrity of the Nobel Peace Prize, especially now that this has been made public as to whether some of the unchallenged and unwelcome pressure we see exerted on governments and organisations by the Israel Lobby, now gets levied on the Nobel Institute over this.
Right, so Daniella Weiss, if you’ve not heard of her, frankly consider yourself lucky, because she does sum up every one of the worst aspects of Israeli settler colonialism going, all packaged up in the form of a diminutive grandmother who looks like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but don’t be fooled, she is a truly depraved and nasty piece of work. She is one of the most prominent figures in the Israeli settler movement and a leading advocate for the expansion of illegal settlements in all of the occupied Palestinian territories. Born in 1945, so before Israel existed, making her Palestinian herself, Weiss has been involved in settler activism for decades, earning a reputation as one of the most radical and uncompromising voices in the movement. She is the leader of Nachala, a far-right settler organisation dedicated to establishing illegal Zionist settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Weiss has repeatedly called for the annexation of Palestinian land and the expulsion of Palestinians, framing her actions as part of a divine mandate to reclaim what she believes is biblical Israel.
Weiss’ rhetoric and actions have consistently demonstrated a disregard for international law and the rights of Palestinians. She has been arrested multiple times for her involvement in illegal settlement activities and has faced numerous legal challenges. She has a criminal record due to her activities, having been convicted at least twice for violence including towards Israeli police officers investigating arson attacks in Palestinian homes and fields. Yet despite her criminal record, Weiss remains an influential figure in Israeli politics, with close ties to right-wing politicians, such as Itamar Ben Gvir, her movement and their ilk being his voter base and other government officials who support the settler movement. Her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize is ridiculous and offensive not only because of her extremist views but also because she is a walking, talking testament to the normalisation of settler violence and expansionism within certain segments of Israeli society.
The Nachala movement, led by Weiss, is one of the most aggressive and controversial settler organisations in Israel. Founded in the 1970s, Nachala has been responsible for establishing dozens of illegal outposts in the West Bank, often in violation of both Israeli and international law. These outposts, which are frequently built on privately owned Palestinian land, have been a source of constant tension and violence in the occupied territories, most notably of course in the West Bank.
Nachala’s activities are often characterised by a combination of stealth, coercion, and outright violence. The organization often sends groups of settlers to occupy Palestinian land under the cover of darkness, erecting makeshift structures and fencing off large areas to prevent Palestinians from accessing their property. In many cases, these actions are accompanied by violent attacks on Palestinian civilians, including beatings, arson, and the destruction of homes and crops. The Israeli government, despite its nominal opposition to illegal outposts, has often turned a blind eye to these activities, providing tacit support through the allocation of resources and security for the settlers and this has been ever more the case with representatives of the settlers like Ben Gvir, like Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionism Party being part of the governing coalition.
One of the most egregious examples of Nachala’s tactics occurred in 2024, when Weiss and a group of settlers secretly entered the Gaza Strip to scout locations for future settlements. This visit, which was facilitated by Israeli soldiers, underscores the extent to which the settler movement is willing to go to achieve its goals and how much clout they currently consider themselves to have. Weiss’ brazen disregard for international law and the rights of Palestinians is entirely in keeping of the broader settler movement, which views the occupied territories as a blank canvas for their expansionist ambitions and the Palestinians should be removed.
The nomination therefore of Daniella Weiss for the Nobel Peace Prize has been met with widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, academics, and activists across social media and beyond. The nomination, which was reportedly submitted by two Israeli academics, Amos Azaria, a lecturer in computer science at Ariel University and Shalom Sadik, a philosophy professor at Ben-Gurion University, are apparently based on the absurd claim that Weiss’ efforts to establish illegal settlements in the occupied territories contribute to peace and stability in the region. This justification is not only laughable but also deeply insulting to the millions of Palestinians who have suffered as a result of the settler movement’s actions and their historic and ongoing land theft.
The individuals and organizations behind Weiss’ nomination have attempted to frame her as a “pioneer” and “visionary” who is working to create a “better future” for both Israelis and Palestinians. However, this narrative ignores the reality of Weiss’ actions and the devastating impact they have had on Palestinian communities. By nominating Weiss, these individuals are not only legitimising her extremist ideology and her criminal actions and that of her Nachala movement, but also undermining the very principles that the Nobel Peace Prize is meant to uphold.
Let’s remember for a moment why the Nobel Peace Prize even came into being, because the guy who invented dynamite didn’t want that to be his legacy, a guy who didn’t want to be remembered for the atrocity his invention could be used for, so for his peace prize to be awarded to someone who has committed and revels in creating atrocity cuts to the very core of why the Nobel Peace Prize even exists.
If Weiss were to win the prize, it would represent a profound betrayal of the values of peace, justice, and human rights that the award is supposed to represent. It would also send a dangerous message to the international community, suggesting that violence, displacement, and ethnic cleansing are acceptable means of achieving political goals and are somehow deserving of recognition and reward. The Nobel Peace Prize would lose its moral authority, and no one would want to be associated with an award that honours such blatant violations of human rights.
As ridiculous a notion as that might be, we know the leverage that the Israel Lobby apply to governments and politicians and organisations, there is a reason the Nobel Institute do not publish nominees, so that undue influence cannot be applied and yet this nomination has been made quite public. I wonder why.
The international community has a responsibility to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law and to ensure that individuals like Weiss are not rewarded for their crimes. This includes imposing sanctions on Israeli officials and organizations involved in settlement activities, as well as supporting efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region. The nomination of Weiss for the Nobel Peace Prize shows there is clearly a greater need for vastly improved international pressure on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories and to respect the rights of Palestinians.
The nomination of Daniella Weiss for the Nobel Peace Prize is a travesty. Weiss’ extremist ideology, criminal record, and advocacy for illegal settlements are fundamentally incompatible with the values of peace and justice that the Nobel Prize is meant to honour. By nominating Weiss, her supporters are not only legitimizing her actions but also undermining the credibility of the Nobel Peace Prize itself. It also shows the arrogance of some in Israel that their nation remains untouchable and above reproach. In my view the Nobel Institute should throw this nomination out before it damages their reputation further and anyone choosing to cry antisemite over that or criticise them in any similar fashion should be given short shrift and paid no mind to. Too many Zionists have cried wolf on that too many times and to bow to any such pressure would do a disservice to fighting the real thing. Of course that would confirm the nomination, which is something they haven’t at this point done, I do feel it’d be better for them to make it clear though by tossing it out.
Meanwhile, in a show of absolutely being able to hold power accountable and that includes Israel, the parallels between the arrest of former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte under an ICC arrest warrant and that same arrest warrant being out for Benjamin Netanyahu still very much hanging over his head have become a bit of a talking point that needs wider recognition, so check out this video recommendation all about that as your recommended next watch. Please do also hit like share and subscribe to the channel if you haven’t already so as to ensure you don’t miss out on all new daily content as well as supporting the channel at the same time, which is very much appreciated, especially right now as the channel nears that magic number of 100,000, so if you watch regularly and haven’t yet subbed please consider it and I’ll hopefully therefore catch you on the next vid. Cheers folks.