Franco-British lawyer Philippe Sands received the 2026 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. In his acceptance speech, he criticized Germany's silence on Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
The 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair concluded on Sunday with the presentation of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade to Franco-British lawyer and author Philippe Sands. The award was presented in the presence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Paulskirche church in Frankfurt am Main.
The Board of Trustees of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association honored Sands as a committed humanist "who, despite growing resistance, tirelessly fights for human rights, justice and mutual understanding." The jury stated that his work is based on a "commitment to the universal rights of every human being, evidenced in his advocacy for victims of war crimes, racism, torture and colonial injustice."
Sands is a professor of law at University College London and a human rights lawyer at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. He gained wide recognition for his 2016 book East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity, which details the lives of Jewish lawyers Hersch Lauterpacht and Raphael Lemkin and the origins of international criminal law. The award comes with prize money of €25,000 ($28,000).
During his acceptance speech, Sands criticized Germany for what he called its "inappropriate silence" regarding Israel and its actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He argued that human rights abuses should be clearly named, especially among allies.
"Violations of international law must be clearly identified — especially among friends. It's not anti-Semitic. It's not anti-Israel. It's the truth," Sands said.
Sands, a descendant of Jews driven out of what is now Lviv in western Ukraine during the Second World War, referenced Germany's own history to challenge the host nation. "Germany knows all about ethnic cleansing," Sands said. "So why the silence? Silence is not the way. Not for a family. Not for a community. Not for a country."
He also warned that the "restriction on debate" in Germany is "disturbing," according to weekly newspaper Die Zeit. Sands stated that the question of whether Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians is "a useless diversion" and that "there is no hierarchy among the various crimes against humanity." He added that those who denounce such crimes "should not be silenced, excluded, or punished simply for exercising their freedom of speech and expression."
Sands condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, describing them as "appalling" and "a monstrous crime against the norms of international law." He acknowledged that Israel, like any state, has a right to defend itself, but emphasized that "this right is not unlimited and must be practiced within the boundaries of international law."
The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade has been presented since 1950. Sands' speech highlighted tensions between Germany's historical responsibility and its current diplomatic stance on the conflict in Gaza and the West Bank, drawing attention to debates over free speech and international law within Germany.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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