Israeli court halts transfer of crocodiles to prison moat

A Jerusalem court has temporarily blocked the transfer of Nile crocodiles to a moat surrounding Ketziot Prison, putting National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's controversial security plan on hold pending further legal review.

The Jerusalem District Court issued the temporary injunction after the animal welfare group Let the Animals Live filed a petition challenging the government's decision to deploy crocodiles around the prison, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

The group argued that Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman ignored the recommendations of legal advisers and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority when she reclassified Nile crocodiles from a protected species to a "tended" wild animal, allowing their use in the planned prison moat.

The petition also contends that the government lacks the legal authority to implement the measure.

In his ruling, Judge Avraham Rubin said the allegations of potential harm to the crocodiles warranted further examination and justified suspending the transfer and any preparations for relocating the animals.

The court ordered that no crocodiles be moved to Ketziot Prison until a final decision is issued and instructed Silman, Ben Gvir and the Israel Prison Service to submit their responses to the petition by Wednesday.

The reclassification of Nile crocodiles has drawn strong opposition from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and environmental organisations, which argue that introducing a large, non-native predator into the area could pose risks to wildlife, the environment, prison staff and inmates.

"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 remarked in a statement last month.

Ben Gvir's office confirmed that excavation of the prison moat is already underway, insisting the project is not a publicity stunt.

"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 minister's office noted.

According to the ministry, 21 million shekels (about $7 million) have been allocated for the construction of the moat system.

The proposal is believed to have been inspired by the South Florida Detention Facility, nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz," which was opened by the White House in an alligator-inhabited area of the Florida Everglades to detain migrants. The facility has since faced complaints over conditions and legal challenges from environmental and Indigenous groups.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov