Officials Try Reward to Crack Odeh Slaying Case

Hoping to crack an 11-year-old case, U.S. Justice Department officials said Wednesday they will offer a $1-million reward for information that helps solve the bombing death of Alex Odeh, a prominent Palestinian American activist.

The western regional head of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee was killed in an explosion at his Santa Ana office the day after appearing on television to condemn terrorism and defend PLO leader Yasser Arafat as “a man of peace.”

Previous suspects included Robert Manning, an Israeli and former Jewish Defense League activist. About two years ago, Manning was sentenced to life in prison for an unrelated mail-bomb killing of a Manhattan Beach computer company secretary in 1980.

A ceremony to formally announce the reward will take place Tuesday in Santa Ana next to a statue honoring Odeh. Justice Department spokesman John Russell confirmed the reward offer, but law enforcement officials would not yet discuss why they decided to offer $1 million so long after the incident.

Odeh’s brother Sami, a real estate agent in Orange, said the local Arab American community has raised a separate $100,000 reward fund.

“It’s a shame that someone would withhold information,” he said. “But that’s the kind of world we live in.”

In Middle East politics, Odeh had been regarded by many as a moderate; a rabbi was among the speakers when a 9-foot bronze statue of Odeh was unveiled two years ago outside Santa Ana’s main library.

But Irv Rubin, the national chairman of the Jewish Defense League who has painted Odeh as someone who defended terrorism, said he might protest at Tuesday’s ceremony.

Other representatives of the Jewish community, however, welcomed the reward.

Joyce Greenspan, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League for Orange County and Long Beach, said her organization opposes violence no matter who it is directed against.

“I view it as a positive step,” Greenspan said of the reward. “I hope the FBI and Department of Justice are successful in finding who is responsible for committing such a hate crime.”