A Jerusalem district court issued a temporary ban on Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s plan to use crocodiles for guarding terror inmates in prisons. The ruling was delivered on Sunday.
The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by an animal rights organization, which challenged the proposal and demanded that the crocodiles be reclassified as “protected species.” The organization argued that the Minister of Environment, Idit Silman, had disregarded the professional opinions of legal advisors and the Nature and Park Authority, claiming the government lacked the authority to push the project forward. The court granted the petition through an injunction.
Ben-Gvir sharply criticized the court’s action, accusing the judiciary of siding with terrorists and blocking crucial deterrent measures during wartime. The minister stated that while the terrorists supposedly feared the crocodiles, the court had now effectively assisted them.
Earlier this month, Minister Idit Silman had classified the Nile crocodile as a “cultivated wild animal.” This classification was intended to allow the Israeli prison service to utilize the animals around the correctional facilities. Ben-Gvir’s plan is modeled after a similar setup in Florida, and the ministry has allocated a budget of 21 million shekels (approximately 6 million euros) for the initiative.
