The Beersheva District Court on Tuesday sentenced two former senior staff members of the Bnei Zion pre-military academy to seven years in prison for their roles in the 2018 Tzafit riverbed disaster, which claimed the lives of 10 teenagers, according to Hebrew media reports.
Yuval Kahan, the academy’s former principal, and Aviv Bardichev, its former educational director, were both convicted last year of causing death by negligence. In addition to their prison terms, each was ordered to pay 210,000 shekels ($56,510) in compensation to the victims’ families.
The court found that the pair ignored repeated warnings about extreme weather conditions and insisted on proceeding with a hike in the Nahal Tzafit area, near the Dead Sea. On April 26, 2018, the group of 25 teens—participants in an army pre-enlistment program—was caught in a flash flood. Nine girls and one boy lost their lives.
During sentencing, the court emphasized the prolonged nature of the defendants’ negligence.
“This was not a momentary lapse,” the ruling states. “Each of the defendants had multiple opportunities to stop the trip and chose not to.”
Kahan, who was not with the group during the disaster, was criticized for his inaction and failure to properly supervise the expedition. The court noted that even when warned about possible rain, he did not verify the group’s exact plans or intervene.
“He did not act as a principal should have acted,” the judges wrote, citing his lack of direct communication with Bardichev and his failure to grasp the seriousness of the situation.
Bardichev, who led the group into the gorge, was faulted for ignoring clear weather warnings and entering the dangerous terrain with teenagers who trusted him.
“Despite the warnings, he led the group into the stream,” the court said, highlighting his disregard for safety and his refusal to take responsibility in the aftermath.
The court also rejected defense requests to reduce the sentences to community service and acknowledged the prosecution’s request for harsher punishment—at least 12 years in prison—but said it could not impose a sentence that diverged too far from existing legal precedent.
Emotional testimony from bereaved families played a key role during the proceedings. In a moving statement, the court acknowledged the profound loss suffered by the victims’ loved ones and the shattered trust between parents and the educational system. “The group of teenagers did not return from the trip—and will not return,” the judge stated.
Parents in the courtroom wept openly as the sentence was delivered. Some expressed frustration that the charge was limited to negligent manslaughter rather than the more serious charge of manslaughter due to recklessness. Hadar Alfi, whose son Tzur was among the victims, told Kan News, “It’s a bitter disappointment … How could they have been unaware of the danger?”