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Israeli rule change clears way for using crocodiles to deter prison breaks

Israeli Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman has reclassified crocodiles from wild animals to “captive-bred wildlife”, a move that clears the way for the reptiles to…

By Samantha Johnson / July 18, 2026

Israeli Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman has reclassified crocodiles from wild animals to “captive-bred wildlife”, a move that clears the way for the reptiles to be used for security purposes, including to deter prison escapes.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir – who reportedly proposed in December surrounding a prison for Palestinian detainees with crocodiles, a la Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention facility – welcomed the decision.

“Are you thinking of attempting to escape? Think again,” Ben Gvir wrote in a social media post on Thursday, alongside an AI-generated image of himself with a crocodile on a leash.

The caption read: “Ministers Ben Gvir and Silman are cooperating and encircling prisons with crocodiles!”

Israel’s Channel 13 reported that the Israel Nature and Parks Authority had opposed Ben Gvir’s proposal when he first floated the idea last year.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attends a vote at the Knesset in Jerusalem on July 13. Photo: EPA
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attends a vote at the Knesset in Jerusalem on July 13. Photo: EPA

The reclassification transfers oversight of the animals from the authority to a “security body”. The Israel Prison Service, which Ben Gvir runs, is one such body.

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