Court freezes transfer of crocodiles to prison moat, putting Ben Gvir’s plan on hold

Following petition from animal rights group against move to surround Ketziot Prison with Nile crocodiles, Jerusalem District Court gives state until Wednesday to respond

The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday issues a temporary injunction freezing the transfer of crocodiles to Ketziot Prison, putting National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s plan to deploy the deadly reptiles in a moat around the facility on hold.

The court issued the order following a petition issued by the Let the Animals Live animal welfare group, which requested that crocodiles be reclassified as a protected species, arguing that Environmental Minster Idit Silman had ignored the professional opinions of legal advisers and the Nature and Parks Authority, and that the government no authority to move forward with the plan.

Last month, Silman reclassified the Nile crocodile from a protected species to a “tended” wild animal, clearing the way for their introduction to a moat system that is already being dug out around Ketziot Prison in northern Israel.

Judge Avraham Rubin wrote in his Sunday ruling that “the claims regarding the expected harm to the crocodiles merit investigation and justify issuing an order prohibiting the transfer, or any action related to locating or preparing crocodiles for transfer.”

Rubin ordered that no crocodiles be transferred to the facility until a final court ruling is made on the matter, and gave Silman, Ben Gvir, and the Israel Prison Service until Wednesday to respond to the petition.

The legally questionable decision to reclassify crocodiles to allow their entry into prisons was made despite longstanding protest from the Nature and Parks Authority and other nature organizations, which have said it would endanger the animal, the environment, as well as prisoners and staff.

“The Nature and Parks Authority found no professional or scientific basis anywhere in the world for bringing crocodiles into a detention facility for use as a security measure,” the agency said in a statement last month to The Times of Israel.

Introducing “a large, longevous, non-native predator into the ecosystem could create numerous and varied risks to both Israel’s natural environment and the public,” it added.

Ben Gvir’s office has confirmed that digging for the moat is underway, saying: “Whoever thought this was a gimmick was mistaken.”

“The Prison Service is all set. The plan exists in the finest detail, from the maintenance and care of the crocodiles to the crocodiles’ resting cells,” the far-right minister’s office added.

According to the statement, the National Security Ministry has budgeted NIS 21 million ($7 million) for the construction of the moats.

Ben Gvir’s plan appeared to draw inspiration from the South Florida Detention Facility, colloquially known as Alligator Alcatraz, which the White House opened in an alligator-infested area of the Florida Everglades in July to jail migrants.

The facility has faced complaints about poor conditions and lawsuits from environmental and Indigenous groups.