The commandos entered the residence by digging holes under the floor, detonating explosives and rushing into the building. While most of the hostages – including all the Americans - were soon released, 72 were held hostage for 126 days, until they were rescued on April 22, 1997, during a raid by Peruvian Armed Forces commandos. The real-life crisis began on Decemin Lima, when 14 members of the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA), a Marxist-Leninist organization dedicated to the overthrow of the Peruvian government, blew a hole through the wall of the Japanese ambassador’s residence and took hostage more than 700 high-level diplomats, government and military officials and business executives who were attending a party celebrating Emperor Akihito’s birthday. Indeed, the Japanese Embassy hostage crisis inspired the 2001 best-selling novel Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. "I’ve spoken to a number of people in Israel and a number of people across the United States, and we are standing here with the families of these people and hoping and praying for their safety.It sounds like something out of a novel: a group of rebels, helped by an American, seize an embassy in a South American country and hold dozens of people hostage for more than four months. "It’s hard to describe that we use Jewish institutions as leverage against issues that occur around the world and the entire Jewish community of the world knows about this issue, knows about what has happened here today," said Harold Gernsbacher, with Secure Community Network, which is network that utilizes online intelligence to try to prevent attacks on Jewish institutions. The group monitors the web and dark web for potential attacks against Jewish establishments. "SCN is a national organization that works to protect Jewish institutions all across North America, and it was our duty desk that picked up the early context of what was happening at this particular shul and worked to alert the national authorities as to what was happening," said Harold Gernsbacher, with Secure Community Network. One Jewish organization, the Secure Community Network, said it notified the FBI early on. "I hope that he actually does the right thing and just calms down and just takes a deep breath and just realizes, OK, there is a way out of this that doesn’t resolve hurting anyone and just can be resolved by just putting everything down and waking out with your hands up and just getting everything done," Scott said. "We condemn this act," Shahzad Mhmud said. Members of Islamic Central Southlake gathered to show their support for the synagogue. "When my people struggle, I struggle," DiCaprio Scott said. Some of Jewish faith gathered a half-mile down the road from the where the hostages were being held Saturday evening. Aafia, we call on you to immediately release the hostages and turn yourself in." "We want the assailant to know that his actions are wicked and directly undermine those of us who are seeking justice for Dr. We stand in solidarity with the Jewish community, and we pray that law enforcement authorities are able to swiftly free the hostages and bring them to safety," Floyd said in the statement. This antisemitic attack against a house of worship is unacceptable. "We strongly condemn the hostage-taking at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. Aafia, her family, or the global campaign to get justice for Dr. In a statement, CAIR-Houston Board Chair John Floyd, long-time legal counsel for Siddiqui's brother, said that his client is not the person responsible for the incident, and the suspect "has nothing to do with Dr. RELATED: Who is Aafia Siddiqui? Closer look at the Pakistani woman jailed in Texas military officers while in custody in Afghanistan. An FBI official said his demands were specifically focused on issue not connected to the Jewish community.Ī law enforcement official told the Associated Press the hostage-taker was heard demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of having ties to al-Qaeda, who was convicted of trying to kill U.S. There was audio of what sounded like a male suspect speaking, but the feed was taken down just before 2 p.m.Īuthorities are still investigating the motive for the attack. The synagogue’s morning services were being livestreamed on Facebook when the reported hostage situation took place. Authorities release latest details on Colleyville synagogue hostage situationĪuthorities gave an update after four hostages were rescued from Congregation Beth Israel synagogue.
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