Jetten says attending Gaza protest would not be appropriate as prime minister

At his weekly press conference on Friday, Jetten said he had a different role when he attended a Rode Lijn protest last year, as he was then in opposition. He added that Sunday’s demonstration was directed against his government’s policies, Dutch news agency ANP reported in an article published by Nieuws.nl.

Jetten attended the Amsterdam protest in October 2025 as leader of the D66 party. He told parliament in February that he had also attended a Rode Lijn demonstration in The Hague.

The protest planned for Sunday will begin at Museumplein in Amsterdam at 1pm, with a march scheduled for 1.45pm, according to organiser Oxfam Novib. The organisation is calling on the Dutch government to stop arms trade and military cooperation with Israel, demand a permanent ceasefire and press for unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza.

ANP reported that Jetten also said he would not use the term genocide for the situation in Gaza as prime minister, although he had done so last year. He said his government was seeking to increase pressure on Israel and pointed to Dutch measures concerning products from illegal settlements.