[robowombat]

For the British to defeat the IRA would have required a larger commitment over a longer haul with some really unplesant coordinated (not the spastic retaliations of the Balck and Tans) measures targeting populations that supported the guerillas. The Free Staters had, as you note no inhibitions, when it came to dealing with the Republican hold outs. The solution, if it could ever be arranged, based on the Irish scenario, is for Israel is to make some sort of a deal with a faction of Islamothugs and support them with hardware, cash, electronic intel and when the real crunch came IDF heavy forces as they wage an intra-Arab civil war on the anti-treaty faction. The trick is to find the set of thugs who are approachable and will deliver the goods.

[Restorer]

The trick is to find the set of thugs who are approachable and will deliver the goods.

Agreed. Also assuming there is any such group that would command enough support among their own people to carry it off. Israeli experience with similar attempts in S. Lebanon is not encouraging, even tho they had a religious division to exploit there.