With respect I think you analysis is off in some points. For example you write: ?In the past, the Palestinian terrorists were given a pass, because the media in the Moslem world, and many parts of the West, consider the Palestinians victims of Israeli aggression and, therefore, victims no matter what they do.?

I don?t know what media you read or watch, but I haven?t seen any passes issued in the west. The media is highly critical of the Palestinians. I would say the opposite is true - that while lip service is paid to human rights organisations, street protests, and calls for ceasefires, governments will at the same time make huge concrete sacrifices to defend Israel. For example Germany might condemn the violence on both sides and call for peace, but at the same time will give away two billion dollar nuclear submarines to Israel while maintaining economic sanctions on the Palestinians. Fundamentally lip service is hot air, it doesn?t change reality. Actions speak louder than words.

Secondly you say ?For many Arabs, the line was crossed in 2007, when Hamas launched an attack on its Fatah rivals in Gaza.? And ??Many Arabs, while voicing some support for Hamas, are not-so-secretly hoping that Israel will smash this arrogant, pro-Iran organization.?

 Firstly this analysis fails to differentiate between government positions and the positions and views of the people of a country. A lot of countries in the Middle East are not democracies. Therefore the government position and the people?s views can differ.

So while you are correct some Arab countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia are anti-hamas. This isn?t over their treatment of Fatah! The governments of both countries care little for their own people, let alone Fatah officials.

Fears of Iran is also a red hering  as far as motivation.  Fundamentally Egypt and Saudi Arabia are acting for US interests in the region, which they have judge to be in their interests as the US is the guarantor of their regimes remaining in power. They will sponsor terrorist organisations when asked by the US (see Seymour Hersh?s story about US/Saudi support for al-quedia inspired terrorists Fatah al-Islam ) to fight Hezbollah and act against Hamas and for Israel as in this case.

 The people of both those countries overwhelmingly support Hamas.  But since Egyptian and Saudi Gov depend on external rather than internal power to maintain their positions, the external actors have greater influence and power than the citizens. Again lip service is played but concrete actions speak louder than words. For example Mubarak informed Hamas that no bombing would occur and even when it did start he has maintained an economic embargo on the Gaza strip by not opening the crossings.