The following are letters, written by General Yehoshafat Harkabi, indicating the transformation of the Intelligence section to a branch of the General Staff, and a memo about all intelligence services prepared in 1957 by Shaul Avigur, at David Ben Gurion's request.
Shaul Avigur was a founder of the Israeli Intelligence Community. Formerly, he was among the senior Haganah members and established the organization's intelligence service.
Avigur was appointed by David Ben Gurion to probe the various intelligence services in order to "Eliminate any duplication of work, to cut expenses and to improve the service."
Like then like now: "Israel, being a country small in territory and population, surrounded by enemies striving for its destruction, and entangled in many unique problems, from within and without…. The intelligence services are its first line of defense, in the struggle for its security and international standing, and important to its other efforts."