A concrete and bronze statue depicting a naked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crouching behind a wall appeared in Habima Square in Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning.
It sparked great interest from passers-by, some of whom compared it to the depiction of the Gollum character in the Lord of the Rings movies.
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The statue of Benjamin Netanyahu that appeared in Habima Square in Tel Aviv
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
It was unclear who was behind the creation of the statue, which appeared to be a protest against the prime minister just days before Israel goes to the polls for the fourth time in two years.
The statue was removed at around 10am, a few hours after its appearance. A sign bearing the signature "Sporadi" was placed on the statue and a table carrying juice and cookies was set up next to it.
In the past, artists who placed pop-up pieces in the public arena later went to explain the message sought to convey but no such appearance happened Wednesday morning.
While some passers-by said that the statue reminded them of J.R.R. Tolkien's Gollum as portrayed on screen by Andy Serkis, others said the fact that the figure was hiding behind a wall indicated shame.
Others claimed that the statue actually depicted Netanyahu urinating in a solitary cell, as the piece had been placed in a puddle with water dripping from it.
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Barriers are placed around the statue of Benjamin Netanyahu in Habima Square
(Photo: EPA)
Tel Aviv municipal inspectors tried to find out who was responsible for the statue and being unable to do so, attached a notice for it to be immediately removed.
Local police officers also arrived at the square and began asking passers-by if they had any connection to the statue. They then erected barriers around the piece to stop people from touching it.
Sculptures or other pieces about Netanyahu have been placed in the Israeli public arena several times.
In 2016, artist Itai Zalait placed a gilded statue of the prime minister in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv.
"This is the atmosphere we are currently enduring," he explained at the time.
A few hours later the statue was toppled, and Zalait removed it from the square.
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The statue of Benjamin Netanyahu erected in Rabin Square being pulled down, Dec. 2016
(Photo: EPA)
In December 2020, demonstrators placed a statue called "Hero of Israel" in Paris Square in Jerusalem, next to the prime minister's official residence and the primary location for demonstrations against him.
The statue, also created by Zalait, depicted a demonstrator who was photographed at the height of the protests holding the Israeli flag as he was hit by a jet from a police water cannon.
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The 'Hero of Israel' statue, left, and the image of Nimrod Gross upon which it was based
(Photos: Yael Kronenberg Shur, AP)
The bronze statue, which rose to a height of 5.5 meters, was inspired by a July 2020 photograph of protester Nimrod Gross. After its removal from Paris Square, the statue was briefly placed in Rabin Square at the invitation of Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai.