The Israeli government has stripped legal protection from Nile crocodiles to allow their deployment around prisons holding Palestinian detainees. Rights groups denounce "sadistic brutality."
The Israeli government, led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has taken a decisive step toward surrounding prisons with crocodile-filled moats to prevent escapes. On Thursday, Environment Minister Idit Silman reclassified Nile crocodiles – previously protected – as "specially managed wild animals," removing the legal obstacle that prevented their use for security purposes.
The project targets Ketziot Prison in southern Israel, which holds many Palestinians captured after the October 7, 2023 attack. The initiative is reportedly inspired by Florida's controversial immigration detention center, nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz," a remote facility surrounded by swamps teeming with alligators, crocodiles, and pythons.
Rights groups denounce "sadistic brutality"
For Abdullah Al-Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS), "the mere proposal to surround prisons with crocodiles reflects an unprecedented level of punitive policies based on revenge and psychological intimidation against Palestinian prisoners." Muzaffar Zouqan, also from the PPS, spoke of "an unprecedented descent into sadistic brutality."
According to the associations, prisoners already face abusive policies – starvation, solitary confinement, beatings, and deliberate medical neglect. The addition of crocodiles would further worsen their psychological condition. "For us, this reflects a level of brutality for which we no longer have words," said Amani Sarahna of the PPS.
A project opposed by environmental authorities
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) had opposed the project, arguing that crocodiles should only be kept for educational and scientific purposes. Despite this, Silman overruled her own legal advisor to proceed with the reclassification.
The Israel Prison Service has reportedly already visited crocodile farms to study the feasibility of the project, though no timeline has been announced. The reclassification could face legal challenges, as Silman's decision bypassed the objections of her ministry's legal counsel.
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