Court Temporarily Halts Silman and Ben Gvir's 'Crocodile Plan'

The state will not be able to advance the plan to transfer Nile crocodiles to the detention facility in Ktzi'ot at this stage, after the Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary injunction on the matter this evening (Sunday). The order was issued after the organization "Let the Animals Live" filed an administrative petition and an urgent request to stop the move.

Judge Avraham Rubin determined that at this stage, it is forbidden to carry out actions based on the declaration of the Minister of Environmental Protection, Idit Silman, designating Nile crocodiles as "cultivated wild animals." The order will remain in effect until a decision is made on the request for an interim injunction, after the state submits its response. The response must be given by Sunday in two weeks. However, the work at Ktzi'ot prison to dig canals for the crocodiles may continue.

The petition was filed against the Minister of Environmental Protection, the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, and the Israel Prison Service (IPS). The organization demands the cancellation of the minister's decision from July 15, which it claims was intended to allow the use of crocodiles for guarding and deterrence purposes in prisons, while removing them from the status of protected wild animals and removing licensing and supervision mechanisms. The request claims that the IPS has already begun to carry out actions on the ground, including digging a canal around Ktzi'ot prison and meetings with parties holding crocodiles. It is further claimed that 21 million shekels were allocated for the pilot from the Ministry of National Security's budget.

According to "Let the Animals Live," the decision was made without authority and while ignoring the objections of professional bodies and legal counsel. The opinions attached to the petition warned of danger to the crocodiles, the public, and the environment.

Attorney Hagit Gluska and Attorney Amnon Keren, representing the legal department of "Let the Animals Live," said after the decision:

"The court stopped a dangerous and illegal move this evening, which had already begun to advance on the ground while trampling the positions of professional bodies. Crocodiles are not weapons, a means of punishment, or scenery for a political campaign. The order prevents at this stage the creation of irreversible works, severe suffering for the animals, and the waste of millions of shekels. We will continue to act until this absurd move is completely canceled."

Minister Itamar Ben Gvir responded:

"Again, during a war, the judicial system stands on the side of the terrorists and thwarts important steps for Israeli deterrence. We know that the terrorists are shaking at the arrival of the crocodiles, but the court today came to their aid."

In the middle of last month, Minister Idit Silman caused a storm after, contrary to the position of her ministry's legal advisor and the opinion of the Nature and Parks Authority, the minister declared the Nile crocodile a "cultivated wild animal" — a step intended to allow the IPS to place crocodiles around prisons. Professional bodies warn that there is no precedent for the move, it has no professional basis, and it may even be contrary to the law. The Nature and Parks Authority announced that the matter is not feasible, as such wild animals can only be kept for education, research, and advocacy.

"We need to protect them, not them us. This is not the spirit of the law," they tried to explain to Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Minister Idit Silman. In an attempt to be clever and get what they wanted, the request arose to declare the Nile crocodile a "cultivated wild animal." In the past, the crocodile was defined as such so that it could be raised for the use of its skin for commercial purposes. However, the breeding of crocodiles led to many problems, among other things, incidents of crocodile escapes and fears of their invasion into nature and risk to human life. The former Minister of Environmental Protection, Gilad Erdan, put an end to this, on the recommendation of the advisory committee of the Nature and Parks Authority plenum. In fact, Minister Idit Silman decided to revive a dead letter in the law for the protection of wildlife. However, in practice, the minister created a new definition: a cultivated wild animal for security needs, as she declared that the animals would be held by a security body, subject to the approval of the security need by the Minister of Environmental Protection. That is, it is more than a regulation, but a move that must go through primary legislation.