Court Freezes Plan to Use Crocodiles to Secure Ketziot Prison

The Jerusalem District Court issued an order Sunday afternoon barring the state from advancing a plan to place Nile crocodiles around Ketziot Prison. The court instructed the state to respond to the petitioners challenging the plan by August 16, and the order will remain in effect until then.

The order was issued at the request of the Let the Animals Live association, which filed an administrative petition and an urgent request to halt the move being advanced by Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Idit Silman.

Judge Avraham Rubin ruled that, until further notice, the state will be prohibited from locating the crocodiles or preparing them for transfer. He also ruled that the order will remain in effect until a decision is made on the request for an interim injunction, after the state submits its response.

As previously reported, the proposal calls for building canals around a special prison wing where terrorists are held. Minister Silman allegedly signed a declaration defining the Nile crocodile as a "cultivated wild animal," a move that allowed security bodies, including the Israel Prison Service, to advance a pilot program for keeping crocodiles on their premises, subject to meeting the requirements for housing the animals. The Israel Prison Service said that using canals and crocodiles was intended to strengthen security around security-prisoner wings and increase deterrence against escape attempts.