Senators Anwar, Slap Issue Joint Statement in Aftermath of Colleyville, Texas Synagogue Hostage Standoff

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) and State Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford) issued the following joint statement in response to the hostage situation that took place Saturday in the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. Several members of the synagogue's community were held hostage for hours by a gunman before they were freed by an FBI hostage rescue team that responded to the place of worship.

"We are grateful that the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Texas ended without any victims losing their lives or becoming physically injured, but it is yet another anti-Semitic attack on a synagogue in a world where that has become a more common occurrence, a trend we must continue to condemn," said Sens. Anwar and Slap. "We must continue to talk about anti-Semitism and fight its scourge, which remains a real and pervasive threat for millions of Jewish people across our country and across the world. We are truly thankful that appropriate planning and training in Texas helped save lives, but this event could have gone significantly worse. Training and protections are necessary in all houses of worship today, unfortunately. That's why, in Connecticut, we have worked with our fellow legislators in efforts to support places of worship, providing security resources they can use to help keep their worshipers safe. As we go forward, it’s critically important that this program continues, the second round of security grants for houses of worship moves ahead as swiftly as possible and we maintain support in future bonding agendas."