News Brief06:51 AM

(IsraelNN.com) American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who last week visited a Bethlehem church and spoke with the Greek Patriarch in Jerusalem, has received support from leaders of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths for the planned Annapolis, Maryland conference on the Middle East.

Muslim sheiks, church officials and the chief rabbis in Jerusalem issued a joint statement that recognized the Israeli presence in Judea and Samaria as "occupation," stating, "Palestinians yearn for the end to occupation and what they see as their inalienable rights. Israelis long for the day when they can live in personal and national security. Together we must find ways of reaching these goals.”