Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed on Friday that his Hamas-led government will never recognize Israel and will continue to fight for the liberation of Jerusalem.
"The world arrogance (U.S.) and Zionists ... want us to recognize the usurpation of the Palestinian lands and stop jihad and resistance and accept the agreements reached with the Zionist enemies in the past," Haniyeh told thousands prayer worshippers in a speech at Tehran University.
"I'm insisting from this podium that these issues won't materialize. We will never recognize the usurper Zionist government and will continue our jihad-like movement until the liberation of Jerusalem," he said.
Haniyeh praised the Iranians during his visit for the aid it has given the Palestinians. "They [Israelis] assume the Palestinian nation is alone. This is an illusion. ... We have a strategic depth in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This country [Iran] is our powerful, dynamic and stable depth," he said.
The Palestinian Prime Minister arrived in Tehran on Thursday coming from Damascus. Haniyeh arrived in Damascus on Sunday night on the third leg of his regional tour. Earlier he visited Cairo and Doha.
Since he took office as the prime minister of Hamas government in the beginning of 2006, this is his first overseas trip.
