An Israel Police delegation tours a crocodile farm in Hamat Gader on January 1, 2026. (Israel Police)
Following objections from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to a proposal to use crocodiles at a prison holding Palestinian security inmates, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman has reclassified the Nile crocodile as a “tended wild animal,” a move intended to allow the plan to proceed, according to Hebrew media reports.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly first raised the idea last December during consultations with Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, proposing a prison modeled on the US “Alligator Alcatraz.” Senior prison officials subsequently toured the crocodile farm at Hamat Gader in northern Israel as part of a preliminary assessment.
Senior prison officials tour the crocodile farm at Hamat Gader in northern Israel, January 2026. (Via social media)
The Nature and Parks Authority later concluded the proposal was not feasible under existing regulations, saying wild animals may only be kept for purposes such as education and research.
By reclassifying the Nile crocodile as a “tended wild animal,” Silman’s order would allow state bodies such as the IPS to launch a pilot program to keep crocodiles on prison grounds, subject to animal welfare requirements and appropriate holding conditions, according to reports.
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