Controversial plan in Israel: crocodiles to guard Palestinian prisoners

©Thomas Couillard via Unsplash

Israel is taking another step toward its controversial plan to guard Palestinian prisoners with Nile crocodiles. The government has revoked the reptiles’ protected status, which appears to pave the way for a detention complex surrounded by crocodiles.

Environment Minister Idit Silman signed a decree on Wednesday reclassifying the Nile crocodile as a “specially managed wild animal.” This new category allows security services to deploy the animals under certain conditions, according to Israeli media reports. According to those reports, Silman acted against the advice of her own legal counsel and in defiance of objections from environmental organizations. The plan aligns with the hardline stance of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had already proposed in December to build a prison surrounded by crocodiles. He said he was inspired by a controversial detention center in Florida, which was nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz.” Ben-Gvir, who is also responsible for the Israeli Prison Service, celebrated the new decision on Facebook on Thursday with an AI-generated image of himself holding a crocodile on a leash.

They are slower and less active in the winter

Meanwhile, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority warns that there is insufficient professional justification for the plan and that the project poses significant risks to both humans and animals. Environmental groups also argue that crocodiles cannot be used as a security measure and that prisons should be guarded using conventional methods. They point out that the animals require complex care and become slower and less active in the winter. Nile crocodiles have been protected in Israel since 2013. In the past, they were mainly kept in tourist parks in the country, but later some breeding facilities switched to commercial breeding. Last year, the Israeli military killed more than 250 Nile crocodiles at a farm in the occupied West Bank, drawing heavy criticism from animal rights organizations.

©Thomas Couillard via Unsplash