The winner of the 2026 German Peace Prize criticizes Berlin's "silence" towards Gaza

The Frankfurt International Book Fair concluded today, Sunday (October 11, 2026), with the French-British lawyer and writer Philippe Sands honored with the German Book Trade Peace Prize.

Sands works as a university professor in London and a lawyer who pleads before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where he is making efforts, including those related to considering environmental destruction a crime that falls under international law.

The German Book Trade Association honored Sands, in the presence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as a committed humanitarian activist who “tirelessly defends human rights and fights for justice and understanding,” according to a statement by the award’s Board of Trustees.

The statement indicated that Sands devotes his efforts to "justice and peace, and the determined defense of international law."

Criticism of the German government, why?

Philip Sands called on Germany to reconsider its policy towards Israel in light of the military operations in Gaza. "Crimes against international law must be called what they are, regardless of who commits them," Sands said.

He added that the German government condemns human rights violations in many countries, “but remains silent” regarding what is happening in Israel, Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

He stressed that Germany, which has dealt with its Nazi past more than any other country, is required to apply general principles of international law in a consistent manner, even towards friendly countries.

Sands pointed out that "friends of Israel can also admit that mistakes and violations have occurred," stressing that he considers himself a friend of Israel.

Sands stressed that the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 was “horrific” and represented a grave violation of international law, stressing “Israel’s right to defend itself, but within the limits of international law,” as he described it.

It is noteworthy that the Hamas movement is an armed Palestinian Islamic group, classified in Germany, the European Union, the United States and other countries as a terrorist organization.

Legal expert from a family that survived the Holocaust

Sands, 65, comes from a Jewish family from the Ukrainian city of Lviv. In that, he explained that about 80 members of his family were killed during the Holocaust, while his grandfather survived in Paris.

Sands is considered one of the most prominent experts in international law, and has participated in several international cases related to Ukraine, the occupied Palestinian territories, the Rohingya, and others.

The director of the Center for Documentation of the Nazi Era in Munich, Miriam Zadov, praised Sands in her award speech, describing him as “a jurist who clearly and consistently defends international law at a time when this law is under increasing pressure.”

For her part, German Justice Minister Stephanie Hobig-Sands described him as one of the most prominent international law experts of our time.

She said in a statement that his literary works and his activity as a lawyer in the field of international law reflect “a deep humanity and an unshakable belief in a world in which the force of law, not the law of force, must prevail.”

The value of the award is 25 thousand euros, and is given to personalities who have contributed, through literature, science or arts, to achieving the idea of peace. One of the most famous winners over the past years is the writer Salman Rushdie. The German Book Trade Association has been awarding this award since 1950.