Environment Minister Pushes Ahead With Crocodile Project Despite Court Injunction

Despite a temporary injunction issued by the Jerusalem District Court to halt the crocodile project, Environment Minister Idit Silman instructed the Nature and Parks Authority to continue setting conditions for holding Nile crocodiles under the Israel Prison Service. Silman’s directive came two days after the court issued the injunction following an urgent petition by the animal rights group Let the Animals Live. The court ruled that the state must not proceed with actions based on Silman’s decision to classify the Nile crocodiles as "managed wild animals," a classification that underpins the planned pilot project near Ketziot Prison.

The injunction remains in effect until the court rules on the petition for an interim order, with the state required to submit its response by August 16. Until then, all actions advancing the transfer of the crocodiles to the prison facility are prohibited. Nevertheless, Silman has asked the Nature and Parks Authority to establish the necessary conditions for the crocodiles’ custody by the prison service, which reportedly plans to begin the pilot project at Ketziot within days. It remains unclear how the state intends to proceed with preparations given the court’s order forbidding implementation of Silman’s decision.

The legal dispute centers on the minister’s classification of the crocodiles, which is critical to the project’s legality. The court’s injunction aims to prevent the state from moving forward until the petition is fully adjudicated. The outcome will determine whether the pilot project involving crocodiles at the prison can proceed.