A court in The Hague has overturned a cabinet decision to ban three Islamic preachers from entering the country, ruling ministers failed to produce evidence that they presented a danger to public order.

The three men, invited to speak at the Ramadan Expo in March, were accused by asylum minister Marjolein Faber and justice minister David van Weel of “hate mongering” and “condoning violence”.

Van Weel and Faber said they had conferred with anti-terrorism body NCTV, but the judge’s ruling found the organisation had rightly concluded there was insufficient evidence to justify a ban for two of the preachers.

In the case of the third speaker, the NCTV found he was guilty of spreading disinformation when he denied the Hamas attack on Israel, but “his comments should be seen in the context of the broader Palestinian-Israeli conflict in which both parties spread disinformation and use violence against citizens”.

Van Weel reacted by saying he was “disappointed” the preachers would be allowed in after all. “Their rhetoric contributes to hate and division,” he said.

He and Marjolein Faber are still intent on finding a way to prevent the preachers from entering the country but Van Weel said it would be difficult to do so, he told broadcaster NOS. “If they do make comments that are punishable by law I will report them,” he told the broadcaster.