A golden statue of Chief Justice Miriam Naor was erected outside the Supreme Court in Jerusalem early Thursday, some two months before she's due to leave office.
The statue was discovered by Supreme Court security at the corner of Zusman and Rabin streets in the capital.
Police launched an investigation into the matter, while the statue was removed a little over an hour after it was first sighted.
A routine police patrol in the area spotted several suspects who may be tied to the statue's placement, but because there are no criminal suspicions against them, they were let go and their details were passed on to municipal authorities.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan criticized the police, which is under his ministry's authority. "The reports on the 'police investigation' into the placing of a statue near the Supreme Court does indeed raise the need for an explanation from the police regarding what offense is being investigated exactly. Not every exhibit of protest art justifies investigation, and definitely not one that does not call for violence or displays violent actions," Erdan said.
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A placard under the statue identifying it as being of Miriam Naor, the chief justice of the Supreme Court
An organization headed by Rabbi Chaim Ginzburg of Yitzhar later took credit for the statue.
"The statue was built to serve as part of the struggle against the Supreme Court and Naor at its head who are patronizing and disconnected from the people," Ginzburg's organization said.
The statue was erected in collaboration with May Golan, a social activist in the protest against illegal aliens in south Tel Aviv.
Naor's statue was put up three days after Supreme Court judges ruled that illegal migrants cannot be imprisoned for more than 60 days, even if they refuse "voluntary expulsion."
The existing law allows keeping a foreign national in custody for an unlimited period of time, until he or she is "convinced" to agree to "voluntary expulsion."
The Supreme Court's ruling limited the state's ability to force expulsion on those who refuse it by using long imprisonment.
On Saturday night, some 100 people—residents of southern Tel Aviv and their supporters—protested outside Naor's home ,demanding that the court rules on the matter.
Naor will step down from the role of Supreme Court chief justice on October 25 and be replaced by Judge Esther Hayut.