TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Tel Aviv residents have woken up to an unusual site — a golden statue of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displayed prominently in front of City Hall in an act of protest.

The artist behind the protest says he placed the 4.5 meter (15 foot) statue on the square early on Tuesday.

Itay Zalait says his goal is to test freedom of expression with a reference to the biblical golden calf, and a dig at some Israelis' idolatry of Netanyahu.

Zalait told Channel 2 TV that "maybe something that starts as a curiosity ... or something artistic can become a reality."

Cabinet Minister Miri Regev said on Facebook all it represented was an elite class "whose only golden calf is the hatred of Netanyahu."

City Hall has ordered the statue removed.