Dear John,

After the horrifying crisis that struck Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas yesterday when hostages were taken and a tense, hours-long standoff took place, ADL wants to share our deep gratitude to Texas law enforcement and the FBI for their work in ending the situation with the safe return of the hostages to their families.

We are also thankful for the support of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the many other public officials who handled this situation with the gravity it deserved. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families as well as the Colleyville community, who have endured a horrific trauma.

ADL will remain on the scene now and in the difficult days ahead as we offer support and resources to local and federal authorities including the FBI, as well as community leaders. We are working with the Secure Community Network and the local Jewish Federation to share resources and intelligence, and our Center on Extremism is investigating the alleged captor.

It seems apparent, given what we know so far, that the hostage-taker chose his target carefully. Reports have indicated that the suspect called for the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a convicted terrorist with links to Al Qaeda who railed against Jews during her trial and blamed her guilty verdict on Israel. Siddiqui is serving an 86-year prison term and is now being held in the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, TX. The Center on Extremism team is looking into whether the suspect had connections to Siddiqui and terrorism. We urge law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate the role antisemitism may have played in motivating the suspect.

This situation is a painful reminder of the fact that synagogues in America continue to be at risk for terrorist attacks as we witness historically high levels of antisemitism across the country and the proliferation of anti-Jewish hate online. We urge continued vigilance in securing synagogues and all Jewish institutions in the wake of this attack.

In that light, ADL offices across the country are reaching out to local law enforcement to ensure that steps are being taken to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish community. We are also calling on Congress to double funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides nonprofits such as Jewish schools, federations and houses of worship with much-needed assistance to bolster security. Please join us in calling for this priority. As we saw in Texas, there’s no room for error in securing America’s religious institutions.

With antisemitism a grave threat not just in the U.S. but to Jewish communities everywhere, we also call on members of the U.S. Senate to immediately act on the confirmation of Dr. Deborah Lipstadt as the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-semitism so she can execute this vital work worldwide. To add your voice to this urgent need, please contact your senators today.

At a time of crisis like this, we are grateful to you and the rest of the ADL community for sharing your voice and your support as we fight the Good Fight each day.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Greenblatt

CEO and National Director

ADL