It’s a dove that was once stolen off the only monument of an Arab American in the United States — let me tell you the story.
Located in front of the Santa Ana Public Library in California is a sculpture to Palestinian American poet, teacher and civil-rights leader Alex Odeh. Alex was assassinated in 1985, and the sculpture—created by Khalil Bendib and supported through a fund-raising effort led by radio personality Casey Kasem—remains the only public monument of an Arab American in the U.S.
In 2020 the sculpture’s dove of peace, held in Odeh’s outstretched hand, was stolen, later recovered by police, and eventually reattached to the monument. This act of vandalism is one of many that the sculpture has endured over the last 30 years. Working with the city, Alex’s family and with Bendib’s permission, we have removed the dove once more, this time with intention and care, so it can circulate as a messenger carrying forward the story of Odeh’s life and work and the justice still yet to be delivered in his case.
By setting the dove in motion again, we invite the public to participate in a living monument—one that expands beyond the library grounds and the bronze figure into the everyday lives of those who choose to know and tell Alex’s story. The dove will begin its journey with Alex's daughter Helena and wife Norma, then travel ever outward to a series of homes and institutions connected to and inspired by Odeh’s legacy. Each will temporarily host the dove and share its story with their families, friends, and communities. In June 2026, the dove will be returned to the statue.
Each family or organization that hosts the dove will convene a community gathering to share the story of Alex’s life and the ongoing case. After moving the dove to the next host, they will receive a precise replica as a gift, enabling them to continue carrying the story forward. In this way, a single public sculpture of a dove multiplies into a flock, with each holder becoming a long-term steward and storyteller.
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The Stolen Dove is a project led by artist Jon Rubin in collaboration with the Odeh family and Grand Central Arts Center.
THE STOLEN DOVE
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Born into a Catholic family in Jifna, Palestine, Alex Odeh immigrated to the United States in 1972 at the age of 28. He was a lecturer at Cal Sate Fullerton and poet whose work included Whispers in Exile. Odeh was a defender of Palestinian human rights and advocate of interfaith dialogue between Christians, Jews, and Muslims. A father of three young daughters at the time of his death, Odeh was the West Coast regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
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On October 11th 1985, Alex Odeh was assassinated by a tripwire bomb placed in his office at the Arab Anti-Descrimination Committee (ADC). This was not an isolated incident, as ADC offices in Boston and Washington, D.C., were also targeted with violence in 1985. The explosion that claimed Odeh’s life was categorized as a domestic terrorist crime by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Despite evidence and suspects identified at the time, no one has ever been held accountable for this act of political violence.
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The Alex Odeh Memorial Statue, created by political cartoonist and sculptor Khalil Bendib and funded through a campaign led by radio personality Casey Kasem, was erected in 1994.
In October 1996 and February 1997, red paint was thrown on the Alex Odeh Memorial Statue. The police investigated both events as hate crimes. The Arab American community had no doubt the vandalism was done in an effort to intimidate. Yousef Elia Haddad, President of the Arab-American Democratic Club, shared that he “believes that the vandals want[ed] to spread fear in our hearts so that we don’t speak our opinion.”
In 2020, the dove of peace, held in Odeh’s left hand, was stolen from the body of the statue. Many strongly believe it was intentionally broken off as an act of vandalism (Helena Odeh, interview, March 2025). The dove was subsequently found, returned, and reattached to the statue.
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There is still a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of person(s) responsible for Alex’s murder.
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For more information on the case follow Who Killed Alex Odeh?, a documentary feature by filmmakers Will Youmans and Jason Osder premieres this January, 2026 at the Sundance Film Festival.
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Special thanks to Norma and Helena Odeh.
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Lead artist: Jon Rubin
Commissioning organization: Grand Central Arts Center
Original Sculptor: Khalil Bendib
Curator: John D. Spiak
Filmmaker: Jonn Herschend
Writer: Jamal Rayyis
Designer: Muiz
Dove Replicas: MANA Studios
Photography: Matt Gush
Videographers: Steady Jenny. Patrick Shartzer
Special Thanks to the City of Santa Ana, CA
Funding for this project is generously provided in part by The Segerstrom Foundation and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts through their support of Grand Central Art Center’s artist-in-residence program. Additional funding comes from the Fund for Creative Research at Carnegie Mellon University.
