ByToby Axelrod, Toby Axelrod
A visit by Germany's ambassador to the Netherlands to a military cemetery containing Waffen SS graves has sparked controversy.
Envoy to the Netherlands Franz Josef Kremp drew criticism from Jewish groups over his plans to attend Sunday's commemoration ceremony at the Ysselsteyn German War Cemetery near Eindhoven.
The cemetery reportedly contains more than 31,000 Second World War graves, including about 85 from the First World War.
The world's largest German military cemetery, it is the only one in Holland and is administered by the German War Graves Commission.
The Dutch daily De Telegraaf last week claimed to have a copy of a letter from Mr Kremp in which he said he was aware that SS solders were buried there. But, according to other news reports, the German embassy denied that SS members were buried there.
Dutch Jewish leader and activist Herman Loonstein told De Telegraaf he found Mr Kremp's planned visit "an affront". There was no immediate response reported.
On Sunday, police at the site confiscated two protest banners from anti-fascist activists bearing the slogans "No to SS and "ProteSSt".