The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday issues a temporary injunction freezing the transfer of crocodiles to Ketziot Prison, putting National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s plan to deploy the deadly reptiles in a moat around the facility on hold.

The court issued the order following a petition issued by the Let the Animals Live animal welfare group, which requested that crocodiles be reclassified as a protected species, arguing that Environmental Minster Idit Silman had ignored the professional opinions of legal advisers and the Nature and Parks Authority, and that the government no authority to move forward with the plan.

Last month, Silman reclassified the Nile crocodile from a protected species to a “tended” wild animal, clearing the way for their introduction to a moat system that is already being dug out around Ketziot Prison in northern Israel.

Judge Avraham Rubin wrote in his Sunday ruling that “the claims regarding the expected harm to the crocodiles merit investigation and justify issuing an order prohibiting the transfer, or any action related to locating or preparing crocodiles for transfer.”

Rubin ordered that no crocodiles be transferred to the facility until a final court ruling is made on the matter, and gave Silman, Ben Gvir, and the Israel Prison Service until Wednesday to respond to the petition.

The legally........

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