A Moat of Populism: When National Security Returns to the Stone Age

Ministers Ben Gvir and Silman presented a plan to surround Ktzi'ot Prison with crocodiles as a 'living barrier'. The article, authored by three writers, attacks the plan as illegal, populist, and dangerous, citing Jewish law, international law, and operational considerations. The writers argue it is a technological regression and a waste of public funds, and that the crocodiles are meant to feed the voters' feed.

Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Idit Silman presented a plan to surround Ktzi'ot Prison with crocodiles as a 'living barrier' to prevent escapes. The article, authored by Muhammad Watad, Tal Mimran, and Elyakim Rubinstein, attacks the plan as a populist, illegal, and dangerous step. The writers argue that the decision exceeds authority (Ultra Vires) since Israeli legislation does not authorize the use of predatory animals as a means of incarceration, and it harms the human dignity of prisoners. They cite Jewish law, which prohibits raising a dangerous animal, and international conventions against torture, to which Israel is committed. Operationally, they note that crocodiles are cold-blooded reptiles, inactive on cold winter nights, and therefore not a reliable barrier. They add that the plan borders on animal abuse and wastes public funds, while the prison system suffers from crumbling infrastructure and overcrowding. The article concludes that the crocodiles are meant to feed the voters' feed, not to deter prisoners.