Parents of flash flood disaster victim blame academy staff
Uriel and Rotem Bar-Shalom, Parents of Ilan Bar-Shalom who was killed in the Zafit Stream disaster, lament that 'it seems the 10 teen who were killed in the disaster are not enough for the lesson to be learned.'
Uriel and Rotem Bar-Shalom, whose daughter Ilan was one of the 10 victims of the Zafit Stream flash flood disaster, have called for the closure of the Bnei Zion pre-military academy, accusing it of negligence.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, the parents expressed disappointment with the school administration for failing to take responsibility for the decision-making that led to the teens' death, "thereby eroding the moral and ethical foundation of the college for leadership."
The parents called on the organization that operates the pre-military academy to close it. "Dear members of the organization, this is a time of crisis and you have been silent for over a week.
"Thank you to all who came to offer consolation, but unfortunately this is not enough. We spoke with the chairman of the organization at the end of the shiva (Jewish mourning period), and in light of the moral collapse all the way up the ranks in the academy's management, we are asking you to take responsibility for the terrible tragedy and close the Bnei Zion pre-military academy," Uriel Bar-Shalom wrote in the post.
"We acknowledge the fact the organization runs other important projects, which can be continued in other operational forms. However, the Bnei Zion pre-military academy lost its remaining fundamental moral base the minute its heads decided to hide behind their top-notch lawyers and were satisfied with the resignation of the academy's principal, without acknowledging responsibility," Bar-Shalom added.
"I wish you courage, the ability to take the right decisions, to go to your private desert and return empowered," he went on to say.
The Joint Council of Pre-Military Academies was also blamed for the tragedy. "I regret that you are trying to idealize the pre-military academies in the eyes of the public. I was exposed to many back-patting, unjustifiable moral elitism, and sorrow. Unfortunately, I discovered too little modesty and lack of genuine soul-searching," Bar-Shalom lamented.
Uriel Bar-Shalom also wrote in his post that "As the week of mourning came to its end, I received a letter sent to the parents after the disaster by one of the well known academies in the country. Unfortunately, it seems that the 10 teen who were killed in the disaster are not enough for the lesson to be learned. The letter said, 'This incident is not supposed to happen and probably wouldn't have happened to us.'
"As if the two schools that were rescued from the flash flood in the south on Wednesday in the nick of time, two teens killed by flash floods on the same day in addition to the 10 teens killed in the Zafit Stream disaster on Thursday, and the truck driver who was found dead later were not enough (to teach a lesson)."
"Dear pre-military academy students, sometimes a little bit of modesty and Jewish morals are better than values as high as the Tower of Babel, whose moral foundations have long since been forgotten," Bar-Shalom concluded.
The Joint Council of Pre-Military Academies reponded to Bar-Shalom's post, saying, "There are no words to comfort the family over the unnecessary death of Ilan. The most we can do is to do everything in our power to prevent similar tragedies in the future."
"In an emergency meeting held last week, the pre-military academy's heads acknowledged full responsibility. This shattering disaster demands thar the Council undergoes deep soul-searching," the Council went on to say.
The Council also noted it appointed former police commissioner Shlomo Aharonishky as an advisor for field-trip safety.
The flash flood claimed the lives of Ela Or from Ma’ale Adumim, Romi Cohen from Moshav Maor, Yael Sadan from Jerusalem, Maayan Barhum from Jerusalem, Agam Levy from Moshav Herut, Gali Balelli from Givatayim, Shani Shamir from Shoham, Adi Ra’anan from Moshav Mikhmoret, Tzur Alfi from Mazkeret Batya, and Ian Bar-Shalom from Rishon LeZion.
