The Jerusalem District Court has issued a temporary injunction freezing a plan by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to place crocodiles around Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert.
The animal rights organization Let the Animals Live filed a petition against the project, which has the support of the Israel National Security Ministry and the Israel Prison Service.
Judge Avraham Rubin barred authorities from taking actions based on a decision by Israel's Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman to classify crocodiles as “tended wild animals.”
Amount allocated by the Israel National Security Ministry for the pilot project
Israel's Nature and Parks Authority opposed the plan, stating there was no scientific basis or feasibility study for the project.
The project was not a stunt and preparations had been completed in detail.
Ben-Gvir accused the judiciary of blocking measures intended to increase deterrence in prisons.
According to Palestinian and Israeli rights organizations, approximately 9,500 Palestinian prisoners are currently being held in Israeli prisons.
