An Israeli court has frozen “cruel” plans to move crocodiles to a prison holding Palestinian detainees following a backlash from animal rights campaigners.
Far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir has floated plans to move Nile crocodiles to Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert in recent months, progressing so far as to start digging moats.
The proposals drew condemnation from international human rights groups, who said using crocodiles to police a prison was “vicious” and “nonsensical”.
But it was following a petition from an Israeli animal rights organisation that a temporary injunction was granted to prevent the transfer of animals to guard the prison.
Last month, environmental protection minister Idit Silman reclassified the Nile crocodile as a ‘cultivated wild animal’ in a bid to allow the prison service to use the previously ‘protected’ reptiles for security.
Judge Avraham Rubin, of the Jerusalem District Court, wrote in his ruling on Sunday that “the claims regarding the expected harm to the crocodiles merit investigation and justify issuing an order prohibiting the transfer, or any action related to locating or preparing crocodiles for transfer”.
A temporary injunction orders that no crocodiles are to be transferred to the facility until a final ruling is made on the matter. The state was given until 16 August to submit a response.
Responding to the ruling, Ben Gvir said the rights groups were taking the side of “the terrorists”.
“Once again, in a time of war, the legal system sides with the terrorists, thwarting important steps for Israeli deterrence,” he said, according to Israeli media. “We know that the terrorists are worried about the arrival of the crocodiles, but today the court came to their aid.”
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority previously faced pressure to release crocodiles from Hamat Gader to be transferred to Israeli prisons. The programme was expected to be piloted at Ketziot Prison. But the authority pushed back, saying the project was infeasible as wild animals should only be held for educational, research and information purposes.
Ketziot currently holds an undisclosed number of Palestinian prisoners accused of being members of Hamas’ Nukhba force, who were involved in the Nova Festival massacre on October 7, 2023. Ben Gvir claims using crocodiles to police the prison’s perimeter will reduce the burden on prison staff. Critics say it would be unethical.
Sarah Sanbar, acting Israel and Palestine researcher at Human Rights Watch, told The New Arab that the proposal showed “how normalised cruelty has become” in the prison system.
More than 50 harrowing testimonies of prisoner abuse at Ketziot were published by B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation, following the October 7 attacks.
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