National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is continuing to advance his proposal to use crocodiles around prisons housing security prisoners after Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman signed a declaration paving the way for a pilot program.

The declaration classifies crocodiles as a “domesticated wild animal,” an official designation that will allow security agencies, including the Israel Prison Service (IPS), to conduct a pilot program keeping crocodiles on prison grounds while ensuring their welfare and appropriate living conditions.

The move comes about six months after Ben Gvir proposed establishing a prison surrounded by crocodile-filled moats for Nukhba terrorists.

The Israel Prison Service adopted the proposal and began extensive planning for the project, including a series of professional studies and visits to zoos. According to the IPS, those findings indicated that constructing a prison surrounded by crocodile-filled moats could significantly reduce ongoing security costs while creating a strong deterrent against escape attempts by security prisoners.

After Ben Gvir approved moving forward with a practical pilot program, including construction planning and the creation of appropriate safety and environmental conditions for keeping the crocodiles, the initiative encountered a legal obstacle. Under existing Israeli law, the Nile crocodile is classified as a protected wild animal, preventing it from being kept outside licensed zoos.

To overcome that obstacle, officials developed a legal solution by classifying the crocodile as a “domesticated wild animal,” a legal status that permits it to be kept for commercial purposes. That designation existed under Israeli law until 2013, when it allowed crocodiles to be bred and slaughtered for commercial use. Under the new declaration, however, the designation is limited solely to the keeping of crocodiles by authorized security agencies for security purposes.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)