To the editor:

Next time Trudy Rubin writes about Israel, she needs to get information from valid sources, not the notoriously anti-Israel organization Peace Now. Too bad that she did not do more research; it would have prevented her from being merely a mouthpiece of this group. Israel is building much-needed new housing that will be available to any of its citizens — Jewish, Arab or Christian. How many Arab countries prevent anyone with an Israeli passport from even entering their country?

Why is Israel the bad guy for building new homes to accommodate its population, people who stay busy developing new technology and medical advances from which the entire world benefits? We are familiar with the city of Ariel, which she cites as a “settlement.” Ariel is a vibrant community of 20,000 and includes an additional 10,000 college students. To refer to it as a settlement is extremely misleading, and that, we believe, is her intention.

Finally, for Rubin to assert that dividing Jerusalem is an undisputed prerequisite to a two-state solution is just presumptuous. It indicates to us that she has no knowledge of the history of Jerusalem. She only seems to know what she has learned through Palestinian propaganda. Keeping Jerusalem whole as the capital of Israel ensures that all churches, mosques and synagogues are protected, preserved and open to religious observance for people of all faiths.