Ex-Dutch premier leaves his party over Israel crimes against Palestinians
Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt has resigned from his party over its lack of support for Palestinians, local media reported Monday.
In a statement, Van Agt announced his resignation from the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party for ignoring the “immense suffering inflicted on the Palestinian people” by the Zionist regime, according to the Amsterdam-based NL Times.
He said in the written statement that the CDA's vote against various proposals regarding aid to the Palestinian people, especially during the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in May, was an important factor in his decision to leave the party.
The 90-year-old, who was a member of the CDA and forerunner of its predecessor KVP for over 50 years, said he no longer felt at home with the party.
Van Agt served as justice minister in the Netherlands from 1971-1977 and also as deputy prime minister.
In 2016, he described then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and said he should be prosecuted.