According to an article in The Israel Times dated July 17th, in order to promote the 'Crocodile Prison' plan proposed by Israel's far-right National Security Minister Ben Gvir, Israel’s Environment Minister Yitzhak Silman has revised the legal classification of Nile crocodiles, paving the way for keeping crocodiles in prisons where Palestinian prisoners are detained.
According to reports, Ben-Gevir proposed this idea last December, hoping to create a natural barrier using crocodiles similar to the American “Alligator Alcatraz”, in order to detain Palestinian prisoners. Subsequently, senior officials from the Israeli prison administration visited the crocodile farm in Hamat Gader in the north to assess the feasibility of the plan.
However, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority believes that under current regulations, wildlife can only be used for educational and scientific purposes, and therefore this plan cannot be implemented.
To circumvent this restriction, Sherman recently issued an order to reclassify Nile crocodiles as ‘artificially bred wild animals’. According to the new regulations, government agencies such as the Israel Prison Administration can initiate pilot programs to keep crocodiles in prisons, provided that they meet animal welfare requirements and breeding conditions.
