Palestinian Lifeline 'UN Agency' Nobel Peace Prize Win Fails Amid 'Controversy'

BBC "Nobel Committee, Avoiding Controversy?" Analysis

As the Nobel Peace Prize was announced, there was an assessment that the Nobel Committee might have tried to avoid controversy by not awarding UN organizations and others.

On the 12th, Yonhap News cited the British BBC broadcast, mentioning that the Japanese atomic bomb survivors' organization 'Nihon Hidankyo' (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations) was selected as the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, reporting this assessment.

Nobel Prize
Photo by Yonhap News Agency

BBC reported that this year, there were a total of 286 nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize, including 197 individuals and 89 organizations. Last year, there were about 350 nominees, so the number of candidates has slightly decreased this year.

Before the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize winner, a heavier atmosphere prevailed than at any other time this century. This is because multiple devastating wars, which have already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, continue with no end in sight.

The war that began on October 7 last year with a surprise attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on Israel has expanded, casting a dark shadow over the entire Middle East. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has become a war of attrition that has only increased casualties, repeating tragedy for over two years.

Amid this, the situation in the Gaza Strip, where 42,000 people have died within a year during the Israel-Hamas war, has brought attention to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

UNRWA was established in May 1948 to support 700,000 Palestinians who lost their homes during the First Middle East War following the declaration of the State of Israel by the Jews. In the current Israel-Hamas conflict, it has become the only lifeline for residents of the Gaza Strip.

Some experts mentioned the possibility of awarding UNRWA, but Israel raised allegations of Hamas involvement against some UNRWA staff, and Israeli right-wing groups submitted petitions opposing the award, causing controversy.

On August 11th (local time), black smoke rose from Nuseirat in central Gaza Strip due to an airstrike by the Israeli military. Israel continues airstrikes across various parts of the Gaza Strip.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

BBC analyzed that the Nobel Peace Prize going to Japan's Nihon Hidankyo this year "shows that the Nobel Committee avoided candidates that could cause controversy over the Peace Prize."

Similar criticism was made regarding the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which was considered a strong candidate but did not receive the award. The ICJ is currently investigating allegations of mass civilian genocide in the Gaza Strip filed against Israel.

Meanwhile, some argue that the Nobel Peace Prize should have been withheld this year. Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), a Swedish think tank, emphasized that "the Nobel Committee should have withheld the Peace Prize this year to send a message that the world order system seems unable to reduce conflicts," according to reports.

He pointed out that unprecedented levels of combat and killing are occurring since the end of the Cold War, and more energy and attention should be devoted to this. He added that although there are many potential laureates, not awarding the prize would "send a very strong message."