Scene of disaster
Scene of disasterFlash 90

Yuval Kahan, the director of the Bnei Tzion pre-military academy, announced his resignation Wednesday following the loss of 10 students while on a hike in the Negev last week.

Kahan issued a statement to the media, in which he wrote that "Last Thursday, 11 Iyar 5768, a terrible and inconceivable disaster occurred in the pre-military academy of Bnei Zion, which I head. During an excursion to educate the values ​​of friendship and love of the country, the girls Yael Sadan, Adi Raanan, Agam Levy, Ilan Bar Shalom, Ela Or, Gali Balali, Maayan Barhoum, Rumi Cohen and Shani Shamir were killed."

"I am torn and broken," said Kahan, who is under house arrest. "I will never be able to find the words to express my grief. Trust in me cannot exist in the shadow of this disaster. The role of the head of the preparatory program is first and foremost an educational function that requires the full trust of the trainees, their families and all those who are involved in the program."

"Therefore, I decided to submit my resignation to Yaffa, the chairwoman of the association, who imposed on me 11 years ago the establishment of this undertaking in memory of her son Ben Zion Shai Hadad, an IDF combat soldier who fell while carrying out his duties."

Kahan concluded his statement by saying, "I am sure that the preparatory program, will continue to grow, to do good, and to educate to the values ​​of Zionism, humanity and truth for its students and teachers. I will continue to be committed to everything that will be required of me for this enterprise and its continuation."

"I cannot comfort the families who lost that which is the most precious of all. I share in their terrible pain," he said.

Yesterday, the heads of all member pre-military academies in the Preparatory School Council convened for an emergency conference following the tragedy in Nahal Tzafit.

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."