Jerusalem Court Halts Ben Gvir's Crocodile Prison Plan Pending Further Review

The Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary injunction on Sunday preventing the Israeli government from advancing the plan to transfer Nile crocodiles to the Ketziot prison facility. This decision followed an administrative petition filed by the animal rights group "Let the Animals Live," which requested an urgent halt to the initiative. Judge Avraham Rubin ruled that no actions could be taken under the Environment Minister's declaration classifying the crocodiles as "managed wild animals" until a further interim order is decided. The state must submit its response by August 16.

The petition challenges the Environment Minister Idit Silman, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and the Israel Prison Service, demanding the cancellation of Silman's July 15 decision. This decision aimed to allow the use of crocodiles for security and deterrence purposes in prisons by removing their protected wild animal status and eliminating licensing and oversight mechanisms. The petitioners claim that the Prison Service has already begun preparatory work, including digging a trench around Ketziot prison and meeting with crocodile handlers. The pilot project has been allocated 21 million shekels from the National Security Ministry's budget.

The animal rights group argues that the decision was made without proper authority and ignored professional and legal advice warning of risks to the crocodiles, the public, and the environment. Lawyers Hagit Gluska and Amnon Keren, representing "Let the Animals Live," stated that the court stopped a dangerous and illegal move that had already begun on the ground, overriding expert opinions. They emphasized that crocodiles are not weapons, punishment tools, or political props, and that the injunction prevents irreversible harm, animal suffering, and waste of millions of shekels. They pledged to continue efforts to fully cancel the initiative.