Today May 17, 2015 it was reported that Israeli boys carry flags during a march marking Jerusalem Day near Damascus Gate outside Jerusalem's Old City May 17, 2015. Israeli police on horseback confronted dozens of Palestinian protesters who threw stones at the forces protecting thousands of flag-waving Jewish nationalists marching on Sunday on the anniversary of Israel's capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967  war. Israel later annexed the area, making it a part of its capital in a move never recognized internationally.

There were large Palestinian protests, many people on both sides having been injured. The path to least resistance applies in this case. There were ways to celebrate the holiday without causing large protests and more importantly causing injuries. In a region that is already volatile, it is not the right way to take action which rubs salt into this wound! If the march just went through the Jewish quarter of the Old City there would have been few protests if any. Common sense by government leaders ought to have prevailed, and this is just another clear example how we (Israelis) are also part of the problem!  To move in a positive direction for better relations between Israelis and Palestinian is often not a difficult choice. There is a problem that not enough Jews in the diaspora speak out, when Israel moves in the wrong direction. We too in the diaspora must assist in building a path towards peace! The notion that we cannot be critical of Israel is nonsense. Israel needs our assistance on many levels and that includes on critically analysing Israeli behaviour. Constructive criticism is always helpful on a micro or macro level. We are being critical to make Israel better not like our enemies who wish to destroy us. No human actions are without mistakes and that means that Israel too can and does make mistakes just as every other country in the world does.

We must learn not to take the path that may be our right but is not strategically to our long term advantage, which results in having Israelis injured over something that never needed to occur . This is reckless leadership by all involved!

As the old saying goes: "Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment". We need more discipline by our leaders to accomplish peace we have had this laudable goal for so long without having achieving it.

Alan Levy BA, MIR, LLM is an Associate Professor in Human Resources, Labour Relations, Leadership & Dispute Resolution, Department of Business Administration Faculty of Arts , Brandon University