Key facts
- National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced plans to use Nile crocodiles as prison guards.
- The crocodiles are intended for Palestinian political prisoners.
- The plan was inspired by a U.S. migrant detention center.
- The initiative is described as part of 'animal warfare' against Palestinians.
- The goal of this strategy is to oppress and humiliate Palestinians.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has announced a plan to utilize Nile crocodiles as prison guards for Palestinian political prisoners. This initiative, reportedly inspired by a U.S. migrant detention center, marks a significant escalation in the use of animals as tools of oppression. Ben Gvir's proposal is characterized as part of a broader pattern of 'animal warfare' employed against Palestinians. This strategy involves the use of animals with the explicit aim of oppressing and humiliating the Palestinian population. The introduction of crocodiles into the prison system is seen as a novel and severe tactic within the context of the ongoing conflict, aiming to instill fear and exert control over Palestinian inmates.