Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today stuck by comments casting doubt on the Holocaust that drew censure from the UN Security Council and widespread condemnation by world leaders.
Ahmadinejad, echoing statements he made in Saudi Arabia last week, was quoted by state television and the semi-official ILNA news agency as accusing the West of using the Holocaust as an excuse to favour Israel.
"If the killing of Jews in Europe is true and the Zionists are supported because of this excuse, why should the Palestinian nation pay the price?" he said.
Speaking at a conference entitled "International Congress to Support the Islamic Revolution of Palestine", Mr Ahmadinejad said Islamic countries had done too little to support Palestinians.
The conference was attended by Khaled Meshaal, chief-in-exile of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
"The Islamic world should avoid its existing passiveness and handle the Palestinian issue more actively," said Mr Ahmadinejad.
"As you see, since the Palestinians have become more active their situation has improved," he said.
Since taking office in August, Mr Ahmadinejad has spoken out frequently against Israel in terms which were almost unheard of under his reformist predecessor Mohammad Khatami.
European diplomats say his anti-Israel comments, which have included calling the Jewish state a "tumour" that should be "wiped off the map", may cause a delay in planned talks between the European Union and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme.