NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC called the weekend visit to Iran of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas prime minister in Gaza, another telling reminder that the terrorist organization remains absolutely intent on Israel's destruction.

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"Haniyeh's visit to Iran should extinguish the vain attempts by those seeking to spin an alternative narrative of a moderating Hamas," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "Hamas is an unrepentant terrorist organization. If Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is genuinely interested in peace, the sooner he ends the fantasy of the Fatah-Hamas marriage, the better."

Standing next to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in front of a mass rally in Tehran on Saturday, Haniyeh declared that Hamas "will never recognize Israel." Iranian leaders voiced their full-throated support for the Hamas leader.

His visit to Tehran comes just days after Abbas and Khaled Mashaal, Hamas's political leader in exile, signed a reconciliation pact in Qatar.

Haniyeh decided to go ahead with the Iran visit, despite warnings from Gulf Arab leaders with whom he met last week.

"President Abbas, by his embrace of Hamas, raises new questions about his commitment to achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace," said Harris. "Both agreements Abbas signed with Hamas, in Cairo last May, and in Doha last week, have further set back the peace process."

The United States has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, and cautioned Abbas that forming a government with Hamas will put at risk American aid.

"It's now up to President Abbas, for once and for all, to choose a path to peace, or a road to continued conflict, and stop trying to have it both ways," said Harris. "Israel is waiting for Abbas to make his ultimate choice between continued flirtation with Hamas or resumed negotiation with Israel."

Haniyeh's three-day visit coincided with the 33rd anniversary of the Iranian revolution that overthrew the Shah and brought to power a radical Islamist regime. Iran has provided vital support to Hamas.

"The Palestinian issue is a red line for us. Iran will use everything at its disposal to support the oppressed Palestinians," Mohammed Reza Rahimi, Iran's vice president, told Haniyeh.

Given Iran's nuclear weapons program, Harris called the Iranian vice president's remarks "radioactive" and another "sobering reminder" of the threat to regional and global security posed by Iran.

www.ajc.org

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

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