Israeli army spokesperson shoed

Tonight, three members of the International Socialists (IS) threw four shoes at Israeli army spokesperson Ron Edelheit, who gave a lecture on the Gaza war at the Apollo Hotel. Outside the hotel, about fifty activists protested against the lecture, the IS have announced.

The shoes would have hit Edelheit. The shoe-throwers, students from Groningen and Leiden, have been arrested.

The lecture was originally to take place at the College Hotel, but this hotel cancelled the event in response to protest emails and telephone calls. According to the Centre for Information and Documentation on Israel, the cancellation was the result of threats. However, press agency ANP quotes police saying that they know nothing of threats.

The organisers of the meeting are ‘shocked that these anti-Israel groups want to muffle free speech in the Netherlands in this way’, AD reports.