Israeli court suspends Ben‑Gvir's crocodile prison plan

An Israeli district court issued a temporary injunction halting the controversial project to install Nile crocodiles around the Ketziot prison in the Negev desert. The plan, promoted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir and Environment Minister Idit Silman, involved reclassifying the reptiles as “cultivated wild animals” to allow their use as a deterrent against Palestinian detainees. Judge Avraham Rubin ordered the suspension after a petition from the animal‑rights group Let the Animals Live, citing concerns for the animals’ welfare and the legality of the reclassification. The project had already seen the digging of moats and was budgeted at roughly 21 million shekels (about $6.9 million). Ben‑Gvir denounced the ruling, accusing the judiciary of siding with “terrorists” and defending the security measure. The court’s decision pauses the pilot until the government submits a response by mid‑August.