Stolen Dove Becomes Living Memorial for Palestinian Activist Alex Odeh

Jon Rubin has reimagined a bronze dove, which was taken from a memorial statue dedicated to Palestinian-American activist Alex Odeh, into an interactive art piece that will journey across the globe. This dove was part of a statue created by Algerian-American artist Khalil Bendib, unveiled in 1994 outside a Santa Ana, California public library to honor Odeh, who was murdered in 1985. The statue faced vandalism in 1996 and 1997, and the dove was stolen in 2020 but has since been recovered. Rubin's initiative, "The Stolen Dove," aims to highlight Odeh's legacy, anti-Arab violence, and the Palestinian cause. The dove recently visited Los Angeles for a cultural event and is set to travel to the Bay Area, Pittsburgh, and ultimately to Odeh's hometown of Jifna before returning to Santa Ana.