Police called as former Dutch prime minister Dries van Agt gives anti-Israel speech

dries van agtFormer Dutch prime minister Dries van Agt was shouted down by a group of pro-Israel campaigners while giving a speech at the Singelkerk in Amsterdam on Sunday, news agency ANP reports.

The police were called when the situation threatened to get out of hand, ANP says. The activitists accused Van Agt of being a hypocrite and carried a banner with the text ‘Van Agt… the Jews are sick of you.’

Van Agt was speaking at the so-called Preek van de Leek – an alternative sermon presented by someone famous. His focus was on the Israeli-Palestine conflict.

The banner also included the names of three war criminals Van Agt had considered pardoning on senior legal advice in 1972, ANP says. Van Agt is a known critic of Israeli policy towards Palestine.

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