A gilded statue of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, erected in a Tel Aviv square and dubbed "King Bibi" by its guerrilla-artist creator, stirred bemusement from passersby and condemnation from Israel's culture minister on Tuesday. Sculptor Itay Zalait told reporters he had placed the four metre (13 foot) tall effigy of Netanyahu on a white pedestal in Rabin Square, adjacent to city hall, to test the limits of freedom of expression in Israel. The Israeli government and artists have been locked in a so-called "culture war" over steps by Culture Minister Miri Regev to withhold state funds from institutions that do not express loyalty to the state.
