The Beersheba District Court delivered a landmark verdict Sunday, finding two directors of the Bnei Zion pre-military academy guilty of negligent manslaughter in the deaths of 10 teenagers who died in a flash flood during a 2018 hiking expedition at Nahal Tzafit. The ruling comes after a protracted six-year legal battle that has deeply affected Israeli society's approach to outdoor educational activities.
Yuval Kahan, the academy's head, and Aviv Bardichev, its educational director, faced charges in what became one of Israel's most devastating outdoor activity disasters. In his ruling, the judge emphasized that while reasonable doubt existed regarding Bardichev's awareness of the danger, both defendants' actions warranted conviction for negligent manslaughter, an offense carrying a maximum three-year sentence.
The tragedy unfolded during an orientation trip for academy candidates in April 2018, claiming the lives of Ilan Bar-Shalom, Ella Or, Maayan Barhoum, Yael Sadan, Shani Shamir, Romi Cohen, Agam Levy, Tzur Alfi, Gali Balali and Adi Raanan, who were caught in sudden flash floods.
In his detailed ruling, the judge highlighted a pattern of administrative failures and dismissed warnings. "Multiple stakeholders within and outside the academy expressed serious concerns about the trip's viability," he stated, noting how Kahan "exploited his position" to override these concerns, creating pressure on other staff members to proceed despite the risks.
The court emphasized the absence of clear, documented protocols for adverse weather conditions and criticized the flawed assessment of weather forecasts. A crucial conversation between Kahan and Bardichev the night before the tragedy revealed significant confusion about the planned route. "Even when Kahan recognized the weather-related dangers, he failed to contact the field guide or provide necessary instructions," the judge noted, adding that this abdication of responsibility might have been the critical factor in failing to prevent the disaster.
Speaking to Israel Hayom before the verdict, Sarit Angel Or, mother of victim Ella, described the enduring impact on the bereaved families. "For six and a half years, our nights haven't been the same," she said, explaining her decision to avoid the courtroom proceedings. "You're just a 'puppet' in the courtroom – you can't ask questions or express opinions. The state is the one prosecuting these defendants."
Or emphasized the systemic nature of the failure while acknowledging the complexity of the case. "The guilty parties aren't murderers, but they certainly didn't follow protocols. There was great arrogance on their part, and no one can fight against nature. They should have known about the floods in advance.
"I learned that the academy wasn't even aware of the 2008 law regarding trip regulations, and our disaster happened in 2018. After the defendants face justice, I want to sit down and talk with them face to face. I'll ask the difficult questions that remain in my heart."
Eti Balali, whose daughter Gali died in the flood, expressed her frustration over the lengthy legal process and what she perceived as a lack of remorse. The defendants' apparent disregard for multiple warnings, received from a week before the trip until moments before entering the creek, particularly troubled the bereaved families.
Itzik Or, father of Ella Or, voiced hope that the verdict would serve as a watershed moment for safety protocols in Israel. "I hope and pray the guilty parties will pay their debt to society," he stated, "so others will see and learn, and this disregard for safety in Israel that leads to unnecessary deaths of innocent people will end."
