Jerusalem Court Temporarily Halts Plan to Deploy Nile Crocodiles in Israeli Prisons

The Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary injunction on Sunday preventing the Israeli government from advancing its plan to transfer Nile crocodiles to the Ketziot prison facility. The order followed an urgent administrative petition filed by the animal rights group Let the Animals Live, which opposes the move. Judge Avraham Rubin ruled that no actions could be taken under Environment Minister Idit Silman's declaration classifying the Nile crocodile as a "cultivated wild animal" until a decision is made on a request for an interim injunction. The government must submit its response by Sunday two weeks from now. However, construction work at Ketziot prison to dig trenches for the crocodiles may continue.

The petition targets Environment Minister Silman, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and the Israel Prison Service. It demands the cancellation of Silman's July 15 decision that would allow the use of crocodiles for security and deterrence purposes in prisons, stripping the reptiles of protected wild animal status and removing licensing and oversight mechanisms. The petition claims the Prison Service has already begun preparatory work, including trench excavation and meetings with crocodile handlers, and that 21 million shekels have been allocated from the National Security Ministry budget for the pilot project.

Let the Animals Live argues the decision was made without proper authority and ignored professional and legal advice warning of risks to the crocodiles, the public, and the environment. Attorneys Hagit Gluska and Amnon Keren, representing the group, said the court stopped a dangerous and illegal initiative that disregards expert opinions and risks animal suffering and waste of millions of shekels. Minister Ben-Gvir criticized the ruling, accusing the judiciary of siding with terrorists and obstructing important deterrence measures during wartime.

The controversy began last month when Minister Silman controversially reclassified the Nile crocodile against the advice of her legal counsel and the Nature and Parks Authority, enabling the Prison Service to place crocodiles around prisons. Experts warned the move lacked precedent, scientific basis, and might violate the law. The Nature and Parks Authority stated such wild animals can only be kept for education, research, and public awareness, not security purposes. The reclassification revives a previous legal category used for commercial crocodile farming, which was ended due to escape incidents and public safety concerns. Silman's new definition introduces a security-related cultivated wild animal category, requiring legislative approval beyond a ministerial regulation.