Israel reclassifies crocodiles, opening door for Ben-Gvir’s prison moat plan

Ben-Gvir’s proposal envisions using crocodiles as a living security barrier around prisons such as Ketziot Prison.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman has reclassified the Nile crocodile as a “tended” or “managed wild animal,” removing a regulatory barrier that previously restricted the reptiles to licensed zoos and allowing authorized security agencies to keep them.

The decision, made despite objections from the ministry’s legal advisers, creates the legal framework for National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s proposal to surround high-security prisons with crocodile-filled moats.

Under the previous classification as a “protected wild animal,” Nile crocodiles could only be housed in zoological facilities.

The new designation permits authorized security bodies to maintain the animals.

Ben-Gvir’s proposal, dubbed the “crocodile prison” or “Alligator Alcatraz,” envisions using crocodiles as a living security barrier around prisons such as Ketziot Prison.

The plan is intended to deter escape attempts by Palestinian security prisoners while reducing the costs associated with prison security.

Although the proposal has not advanced to construction, the Israel Prison Service has begun preliminary feasibility work.

Officials have visited crocodile farms, including Hamat Gader, to examine handling procedures, winter care requirements and operational safety before deciding whether the concept could be implemented.

The proposal has drawn opposition from the Nature and Parks Authority, which argues that it conflicts with the legal purposes for which wild animals may be kept.

The authority said crocodiles may be held only for educational, research and public information purposes.

“We need to protect them, not have them protect us. That is not the spirit of the law,” Nature and Parks Authority officials told Ben-Gvir and Silman.

The authority also pointed to problems associated with crocodile farming in Israel, including incidents in which crocodiles escaped into the wild and situations that posed risks to human life.

Former Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan ultimately ended crocodile farming after receiving a recommendation from the advisory committee of the Nature and Parks Authority’s plenum.