Israeli Court Freezes Ben-Gvir’s Plan to Place Crocodiles Around Prison Holding Palestinians

JERUSALEM, Aug 3: An Israeli court has temporarily blocked National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s plan to place crocodiles around Ketziot Prison in southern Israel’s Negev desert, where Palestinian detainees from Gaza are being held, Israeli media reported Monday.

The Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary injunction after the animal rights organization Let the Animals Live filed a petition challenging the plan, which was supported by the National Security Ministry and the Israel Prison Service.

Israeli authorities had already begun digging trenches around part of the prison holding Palestinian detainees from Gaza who were arrested over alleged involvement in the October 7, 2023 attacks. The proposed plan involved placing crocodiles in the trenches as a security and deterrence measure.

According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, Judge Avraham Rubin ordered authorities not to take further steps based on Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman’s decision to classify crocodiles as “tended wild animals,” a legal designation that would allow them to be transferred and kept at the prison.

The court order will remain in place until the authorities submit their response, which is expected by mid-August.

The legal challenge centers on Silman’s July 15 decision, which sought to permit the use of crocodiles as a security measure at prisons. The petition argued that the move would alter the legal status of crocodiles and bypass existing regulations governing protected wildlife.

KAN reported that the Israel Prison Service had already started infrastructure work for the project, including excavation of a canal around the prison. The National Security Ministry reportedly allocated 21 million shekels (around $6.9 million) for the pilot program.

The petitioners argued that the plan lacked sufficient legal authorization and ignored warnings from experts regarding possible risks to animals, public safety and the environment.

Animal rights groups and the Environmental Justice and Animal Rights Clinic at Tel Aviv University welcomed the court’s decision, saying it prevented irreversible steps while efforts continue to permanently cancel the proposal.

Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician who has overseen Israel’s prison policies since taking office in late 2022, has faced international criticism over conditions faced by Palestinian prisoners. Human rights groups have raised concerns over detention conditions, including allegations of mistreatment and inadequate medical care.