Israeli Court Temporarily Halts National Security Minister's Crocodile Prison Plan

The Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary injunction on August 2, 2026, preventing the Israeli government from transferring Nile crocodiles to the Ketziot prison facility. The decision came shortly after the animal rights group Let the Animals Live filed an urgent petition to stop the move. Judge Avraham Rubin ruled that no actions should be taken based on the Environment Minister Idith Silman's decision to classify the crocodiles as "cultivated wild animals" until the court rules on the interim injunction request. The state must respond by August 16.

The plan, promoted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Environment Minister Silman, involves amending the law to allow the Israel Prison Service to place crocodiles around Ketziot prison, which houses security prisoners including terrorists. The crocodiles would be reclassified from protected wild animals to "cultivated" ones, transferring oversight from the Nature and Parks Authority to the Prison Service. Ben-Gvir cited a Florida prison model where crocodiles serve as deterrents, but critics note that unlike Florida's existing crocodile reserve, Israel would create a new enclosure and relocate the animals.

The Nature and Parks Authority opposed the plan, citing insufficient professional basis and unexamined feasibility. The petitioners claim the Prison Service has already begun preparatory work, including digging a trench around the prison and meeting with crocodile handlers, with a 21 million shekel budget allocated from the National Security Ministry for the pilot. The animal rights group called the plan dangerous and illegal, accusing the ministers of acting beyond their authority and ignoring professional and legal advice. Lawyers representing the group said the court's injunction prevents irreversible harm to the crocodiles, public safety, and the environment. The legal process will continue after the state submits its response.