So what Habesor has explained is that certain minorities within Israeli society are allowed to choose to serve, rather than be drafted automatically.

Sounds like the 'discrimination' there is against the Jews, if there's any discrimination.....

It's also beginning to seem as though much of the trouble in the Negev and Sinai *both* is due to a cultural conflict between the Bedouin and the 'town' communities.  Most modern nation-states aren't able to accomodate semi-nomadic tribes.....  The US tried setting aside reservations for such groups, but where the Hopi and Navajo nations could manage, and the Cherokee adapted - other tribes like the Sioux just couldn't maintain their ancestral ways and stay within the boundaries. 

Not to 'defend' the unjust policies of past US administrations, or their idea of de-NDN-izing the NA peoples - but anthropology hadn't really begun back then, and nobody really took seriously the idea of NDN sovereignty. 

Was it racial prejudice which got the likes of the Mormons and the Amish better treatment from the US government?  Or was it religious prejudice because those groups were Christian?  I have no idea.  I'd love to think that the US had matured in its outlook towards 'minority' cultures.....  there is still resistance to religious practices which include animal killing (whether for food or 'sacrifice').

What would the US be doing if faced with semi-nomadic tribes with little 'national' loyalty and a long history of smuggling (as certain seaside towns in England were historically known for their smugglers!)???

What did the Russians do with their similar minorities - the Nenets(Samoyed), Aleuts, Sami (Lopars/Lapps), etc, etc?

How have the Chinese treated their 'indigenous' peoples?

Sherri, you wrote:

"Habesor, The AntiBoycott law is a fascist, undemocratic law that attacks freedom of speech, of certain speech, making it a discriminatory law."

Sorry, Sherri, but boycotts are not speech but are acts that are aimed at causing economic harm to those with whom you disagee. If anything boycotts seek to limit freedom of speech and as such were widely popular with the Nazis and Fascists as political actions in their rise to power in the 1930's. In the case of the pro-Palestinian BDS movement, they advocate boycotting Israeli universities. How someone can claim that such action promotes freedom of speech or the free exchange of ideas is beyond my comprehension. I suppose it belongs in the same intellectual cesspool as those who argue that Timothy McVeigh was just expressing a political opinion when he committed mass murder in Oklahoma City or the 9/11 terrorists were just expressing Third World disagreement with American imperialism, both perfectly legitimate forms of free speech.

"A poster here implied discrimination only flows from laws discriminatory on their face, and I am unaware of any post in this thread identifying one single illustration of that, by a nation's laws in the Middle East. Show me laws on the books in Middle East nations that discriminate on their face against Christians." 

Sherri, 

There are quite a few laws on the books in Arab states which discriminate against non-Muslims. For starters why not take a look at the various Arab constitutions which make it mandatory that the head of state be a Muslim. In your opinion would that be discrimination?

By the way, the proposed Palestinian constitution has the following articles:

"ARTICLE 4

1. Islam is the official religion in Palestine. Respect and sanctity of all other heavenly religions shall be maintained.
2. The principles of Islamic Shari’a shall be the main source of legislation."

and 

"ARTICLE 35

Before assuming the office, the President shall take the following oath before the Legislative Council, and in the presence of the Speaker of the Palestinian National Council, the Chief of Supreme Court “ I swear to Allah Almighty to be faithful to the Homeland and to its sacred places, and to the people and its national heritage, and to respect the Constitutional system and the law, and to safeguard the interests of the Palestinian people completely, as Allah is my witness “."

Sherri, 

Do you think that there is some element of legal discrimination in the proposed Palestinian constitution?

Habesor 

Sherri,

You wrote:

"Boycotts were used to fight Apartheid in South Africa, supported by Christians there."

Mostly true.

"And I have read by Israelis words expressing support of the Boycott are made illegal by the recent fascist legislation passed by Israel, thus this is a law attacking freedom of speech, not just acts."

False. The legislation does not make boycotts or expressing support for boycotts a criminal offense. You might want to read the law before you make such incorrect statements.

Habesor 

So Sherri,

I suppose this shows that Human Rights Watch has not read the law either.

Habesor