In late 1967, three weeks after the brainstorming session at the Prime Minister’s, Chief of Staff Major-General Yizhak Rabin held a discussion at the IDF General HQ. Titled “State of Israel’s potential borders in view of security needs” and held over two meetings, members of IDF senior command presented their views and assessments on Israel’s interests regarding its borders and future of the Occupied Territories.
Some attention was given to the fact the discussion, which carried a clear political significance, was taken within the military. Chief of Staff Rabin and Maj.-Gen. Yeshayahu Gavish stressed the discussion was intended to clarify the IDF’s professional position. General Ariel Sharon presented a different position and a disillusioned assessment of the military’s role in the political debate and the political aspects of security considerations: “[…] I think we have every right to influence, not only speak,” Sharon said, and continued: “Much will be dictated to the State by the IDF […] You cannot nowadays differentiate a political approach from a pure security approach. What we say on this matter will dictate the government’s position.”
The minutes of both sessions, lasting a total of over four hours, were heavily redacted during declassification at the IDF and Security Establishment Archives. Most of the text was removed as were some of the speakers, and only short segments were left from the contribution of some speakers. Of the first session’s 24 pages only 12 heavily redacted pages remain; of the second meeting, only words of Maj.-Gen. Chaim Bar-Lev were declassified, as well as some of Rabin’s concluding comments: “since purpose of this discussion was a conversation with no conclusion. […] the exchange of opinions in itself surely contributed to everyone […].”
