Source: AP & Jerusalem Post, 8-12-2006
Tens of thousands of Palestinians demonstrated on Friday afternoon in favor of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government, and demanded that Haniyeh remain in power even if a unity government were established.
On Thursday, Haniyeh arrived in the Iranian capital for a four-day visit for talks with Iranian leaders including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who has called for "Israel" to be "wiped off the map."
The PA prime minister is on his first tour abroad since his Hamas-led government took office in March.
Haniyeh called Iran, a longtime ally of Hamas, the Palestinians` "strategic depth" because they were together in their fight against "Israel".
"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.
Iran has provided the Hamas-led Palestinian government with US $120 million this year despite a US-led international financial boycott of the Palestinian government. The financial aid has boosted Iran`s influence among Palestinians.
Along with his meeting with Ahmadinejad, Haniyeh is scheduled to hold talks with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former president Hashemi Rafsanjani during his visit.