MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a pre-sermon speech before Friday prayers said the world had a "duty" to confront Israel in order to guarantee global peace, Iran's Press TV reported.

Ahmadinejad called on all regional nations to stand up to Israel because the very existence of the "Zionist regime has jeopardized" and caused insecurity in the entire region. He added that Middle Eastern countries would never recognize Israel.

"The Zionist regime is the symbol of lies and deception," he said, adding that Israel was founded on "colonialist" attitudes. He said it was in the interests of any country to confront the "fake regime."

The Iranian leader then questioned the events of the Holocaust and called for investigations into it.

"If the Holocaust, as you claim, is true, why don't you allow an investigation into the issue?" he said.

He also repeated that the Palestinian nation had Iran's full support, referring to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.