Southern Israel – Police on Sunday raided the Bnei Zion pre-military academy in Tel Aviv, which lost ten of its students who drowned in flash floods during a school trip in southern Israel on Thursday.
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During the raid, police confiscated documents and computers.
Police on Friday arrested the head of the academy and two counselors, on suspicion of negligent homicide.
The staff members are being questioned over their failure to heed flooding warnings and call off the hike, police said. One counselor was released to house arrest, but the remands of principal Yuval Kahan and counselor Aviv Bradichiv were extended by five days on Friday in Beersheba Magistrate’s Court. Justice Eitan Gonen said there were “contradictions in the versions of events” that the two had given.
The counselor who was released, is the daughter of the deputy commander of the Arava Rescue Unit, Channel 2 News reported. In her interrogation, she said that she consulted her father before going on a trip and he told her: “Do not take any chances.” She said she relayed this warning to the school, but nobody listened.
The Education Ministry announced the establishment of a committee to evaluate the external activities of pre-military academies. Defense Ministry representatives and members of the council of pre-military preparatory academies will also sit on the committee. The committee will examine the establishment of procedures and supervision of the subject, with an emphasis on trips throughout the country, so that they will be conducted in an orderly and safe manner.
The pre-military preparatory programs are funded by the Ministries of Education and Defense, each with a 50% budget. Since Bnei Zion is a private institution it is not legally required to seek approval for such excursions from the Education Ministry, which said it had not been aware of any plans for the trip.
This piece of news makes me want to go and scream so loud in dismay.
They knew and they chose not to listen?!They sent these young kids to their murder?!
I am grateful the Israeli police is treating this with the utmost seriousness,and I pray that schools in Israel will take better care of the children they are given to teach.