Four hostages were freed and their captor killed at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, after a raid by an FBI hostage rescue team ended a 10-hour standoff, which U.S. President Joe Biden called “an act of terror.”
The hostage-taker—who was identified by the FBI on Sunday as Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old citizen of the United Kingdom—entered the congregation at 10:41 a.m. on Shabbat morning. He launched into a profanity-laced tirade, calling for the release of convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani national serving an 86-year sentence at a federal prison in nearby Fort Worth.
When Shabbat ended around the world, people were horrified to learn that Jews were under attack yet again; prayers were said and mitzvahs were done on behalf of those held hostage.
Just down the road from Congregation Beth Israel, community members at Chabad of Southlake were shaken up, praying for their friends and neighbors. “Our hearts and prayers are with the hostages and their families. We are asking everyone to please say a prayer for the peaceful resolution to this crisis and to do an additional mitzvah—good deed—particularly in the realm of kindness, such as charity,” Rabbi Levi Gurevitch, co-director of Chabad of Southlake with his wife, Rishi, wrote after the close of Shabbat. “We are here for anyone who needs any help and those affected by this in any way.”
A Coordinated Rescue Effort
Initially, four hostages were taken. Teams from the Colleyville Police Department, the FBI’s Dallas Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the North Tarrant SWAT Team were on the scene since the morning, as well as other local agencies. FBI crisis negotiators communicated with the suspect throughout the day, and the surrounding area was evacuated by law enforcement.
One hostage was released shortly after 5 p.m. “Prayers are being answered,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. “One of the hostages in the synagogue has been released uninjured. Three more to go.”
The remaining hostages were freed at about 9 p.m. by a special FBI hostage-rescue team that was flown in from Washington, D.C.
Following the release of the rest of the hostages, President Biden said that “we will stand against antisemitism and against the rise of extremism in this country. That is who we are, and tonight, the men and women of law enforcement made us all proud.”
Soon after the FBI confirmed Akram’s nationality, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss released a statement condemning the attack by a citizen of the United Kingdom, calling the hostage-taking an “act of terrorism and antisemitism.”
“My thoughts are with the Jewish community and all those affected by the appalling act in Texas,” said Truss. “We stand with the U.S. in defending the rights and freedoms of our citizens against those who spread hate.”
As the closest synagogue to Congregation Beth Israel, Chabad of Southlake held a community-wide Zoom event on Saturday night where members of both communities came together in prayer and solidarity. “We are one community,” declared Gurevitch. “We are a strong community, and we will overcome this together. Am Yisrael Chai!”
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