Nachal Tzafit victims
Nachal Tzafit victimsFlash 90

The heads of all member pre-military academies in the Preparatory School Council convened today at Beit Berl following the tragic disaster in Nahal Tzafit last week.

At the conference, Council Director Danny Zamir addressed the issue of responsibility for the severe disaster and clarified, "This unnecessary death shouldn't have happened, it stems from a fundamental failure of responsibility."

Scene of disaster
Scene of disasterFlash 90

"We're responsible for our students, period," Zamir emphasized.

"The head of the preparatory course is always responsible for everyone who comes to its gates," he said, adding that for 30 years hikes continued without incident, "but after the disaster what happened must be carefully examined."

Zamir stressed that, as far as it depends upon him, the Bnei Tzion mechina where the disaster took place will not be closed: "The Bnei Tzion mechina has a glorious past and future. We'll rehabilitate it."

The police decided yesterday to release Yuval Kahan, director of Bnei Tzion, and instructor Aviv Berdichev, to house arrest for a period of five days.. The two, arrested after the disaster, were forbidden to go to mechina offices or contact any parties involved in the investigation for a period of ten days.

The victims of the disaster are Ela Or of Ma'aleh Adumim, Yael Sadan of Jerusalem, Adi Raanan of Michmoret, Tzur Alfi of Mazkeret Batya, Maayan Barhoum of Jerusalem, Romi Cohen of Moshav Maor, Gali Balali of Givatayim, Shani Shamir of Shoham, Ilan Bar Shalom of Rishon LeZion and Agam Levy of Moshav Herut.