Southwest
Dallas-area megachurch hosts family members of Israeli hostages: 'This is a spiritual battle'
A Dallas-area Baptist megachurch recently hosted the family members of two people who are still hostages of Hamas in Gaza, as a show of support by the Christian community for Israel and its citizens amid today’s antisemitism.
Dalia Cusnir and Liel Slifer joined pastor Jeremiah Johnston at Prestonwood Baptist Church’s Jan. 28 services to share their stories and remind others of the ongoing plight of their beloved relatives.
That weekend was Holocaust Remembrance Day — an annual observance held on the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Speaking to Fox News Digital on Thursday about the event, Jack Graham, senior pastor, reiterated the importance of standing with Israel.
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“We were honored at Prestonwood to welcome families impacted by the atrocities committed against Israelis by Hamas terrorists,” said Graham, adding that his congregation was “deeply moved” by Slifer and Cusnir’s stories.
“Hamas still brutally holds more than 100 people hostage, and it’s imperative that we continue to amplify their stories and call for their immediate release,” he added.
The Christian community, emphasized Graham, must “stand with our Jewish friends and our friends in Israel and demand that the hostages be released now … This is a spiritual battle that affects the entire world, and we will keep fighting this fight until they are all home,” he said.
Liel Slifer, left, Dalia Cusnir, center, and pastor Jeremiah Johnston speak about the situation in Israel at Prestonwood Baptist Church. Slifer and Cusnir are the relatives of people still being held hostage by Hamas. (Prestonwood Baptist Church)
Cusnir, of Israel, is the sister-in-law of Eitan Horn and Yair Horn. The brothers were captured at Kibbutz Nir Oz on Oct. 7.
Slifer, of Dallas, is the cousin of Carmel Gat, one of the last remaining female hostages. Gat was kidnapped on Oct. 7 while visiting her parents at Kibbutz Be’eri.
Speaking to the Prestonwood church congregation, Cusnir said she was there to be the voices of her two brothers-in-law — Eitan and Yair, the brothers of her husband Amos. Her husband was invited to Yair’s home on the eve of the attack but decided not to go, she said.
“They just stopped answering us. We had no clue what was going on.”
“When the terror attack began at 6:30 a.m., I was home,” said Cusnir — and she immediately ran with her children to her family’s safe room. The first thing she did was call Eitan and Yair, who reported that things were OK where they were and that they were in their own safe room.
An hour later, however, the situation was very different.
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“We were shocked by those horrors we saw,” said Cusnir, as images from the attack began to be broadcast on Israeli television.
“The last message we got from them was at 7:30 a.m.,” she said. “They just stopped answering us. We had no clue what was going on.”
At first, Cusnir and her family tried to explain away why the two men had suddenly stopped responding. Perhaps, they thought, their batteries had died, or their cell phones did not get a good signal from the safe room.
Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, is shown meeting with the family members of those who are still held hostage in Gaza. Prestonwood Baptist Church has campuses in Plano and Prosper, Texas. (Prestonwood Baptist)
That night, representatives from the army told them they had been to Yair’s house on the kibbutz, but neither of the men were there.
Initially, the two brothers were classified as “missing,” as all the bodies on the kibbutz had not been identified yet.
It was not until Nov. 25, when the first round of hostages began to be released, that Cusnir and her family received word that Eitan and Yair were actually being held hostage in Gaza.
“We hope and pray that they’re still alive and that we’re going to see them back as soon as possible,” said Cusnir.
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Slifer, who was in Texas during the attack, said it took her a minute to register what was happening as she was sent images and videos from Kibbutz Be’eri.
Similar to the way Cusnir reacted, Slifer “initially didn’t think anything was wrong,” she said, as her cousins were texting her throughout the attack.
In addition to Carmel, her brother Alon, her sister-in-law Yarden, and her niece, Geffen, were all visiting Kibbutz Be’eri.
“And then they went silent,” she said.
Terrorists had entered their home, she said, and taken her cousins out one by one.
Gat’s mother, Kinneret, was killed. Slifer herself saw Kinneret’s body in a video posted by the Washington Post.
“We had to call her family in Israel and tell them, ‘Even though we haven’t found her body yet, we think she’s probably been murdered,’” said Slifer, choking back tears. “Her daughter Carmel was taken.”
“Hamas is an organization of terrorists — they came to us, but they have other targets as well.”
Alon and Geffen managed to escape from their captors. Yarden was taken hostage, and was released in Nov. 2023, said Slifer.
“Carmel is still being held hostage in Gaza,” said Slifer. “She’s only six months older than me. We used to have sleepovers with her grandparents in Israel.”
When a group of children was released, they reported that Gat was safe and healthy.
There have been no additional updates on her status.
Cusnir had a simple message to the Prestonwood Baptist community: Keep talking about what is happening and do not forget.
“This is not only against Israel,” she said. “Hamas is an organization of terrorists — they came to us, but they have other targets as well.”
Pastor Jeremiah Johnston assured both women of his church’s prayers for their families and for Israel. “Prestonwood will always stand with Israel.” (Prestonwood Baptist)
The hostage situation, said Cusnir, is a “humanitarian thing.”
“This is not about a piece of land. This is not about right-wing, left-wing — this is just because they want to destroy the Jewish people, and not only the Jewish people.”
She continued, “We need your help in keeping this message as a humanitarian thing.”
Slifer offered a similar sentiment.
“Prestonwood will always stand with Israel.”
“This is not politics; this is not left versus right, Jews versus Christians. This is good and evil,” said Slifer. “It is a battle between good and evil. And we need you all, every single day, to be vocal and supportive.”
“This isn’t just affecting us, this is affecting the world,” said Slifer.
Pastor Johnston assured both women that he would be praying for their families and for Israel.
“Prestonwood will always stand with Israel,” he said.
In Texas, Prestonwood Baptist Church has campuses in both Plano and Prosper.
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A security guard was fatally shot outside a Houston restaurant Wednesday evening after a confrontation with another man, authorities said.
The shooting happened around 6:15 p.m. outside Connie’s Seafood Market Restaurant, the Houston Police Department said.
Police told reporters that the security guard, who was working for the restaurant, was standing in the parking lot when a fight broke out between him and another man, FOX26 Houston reported.
Police said the security guard was shot at least once. He was rushed to a hospital where he later died.
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A security guard was fatally shot outside a Houston restaurant Wednesday evening after a confrontation with another man, authorities said. (Houston Police Department)
Authorities did not immediately release the name of the victim.
The suspect was last seen running away from the parking lot after the shooting.
The security guard was working for the restaurant at the time of the shooting. (Google Maps)
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No details about the suspect or the circumstances that led to the altercation have been released as of Thursday morning.
Houston police were reviewing surveillance footage as they search for the shooting suspect. (Mayra Beltran/Houston Chronicle, File)
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Officials said investigators were reviewing surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses to get a description of the suspect.
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The Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT) announced on Tuesday that it plans to sue the Texas Education Agency (TEA) over what it called “unlawful investigations” into school officials over social media posts made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
In September, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath sent out a letter to state school superintendents announcing that he was launching investigations into school officials that he said “posted and/or shared reprehensible and inappropriate content on social media” regarding the Turning Point USA founder’s death.
“Such posts could constitute a violation of the Educators’ Code of Ethics and each instance will be thoroughly reviewed to determine whether sanctionable conduct has occurred and staff will investigate accordingly,” Morath wrote. “While the exercise of free speech is a fundamental right we are all blessed to share, it does not give carte blanche authority to celebrate or sow violence against those that share different beliefs and perspectives.”
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Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath issued a letter in September announcing investigations into teachers’ social media posts about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. (fstop123/iStock via Getty Images Plus)
The lawsuit alleges that since the letter was issued, several Texas AFT members have been placed on administrative leave, reprimanded or terminated over their social media posts, which the organization claims is a First Amendment violation.
“Somewhere and somehow, our state’s leaders lost their way,” Texas AFT President Zeph Capo said in a statement. “A few well-placed Texas politicians and bureaucrats think it is good for their careers to trample on educators’ free speech rights. They decided scoring a few cheap points was worth the unfair discipline, the doxxing, and the death threats targeted at Texas teachers. Meanwhile, educators and their families are afraid that they’ll lose everything: their livelihoods, their reputations, and their very purpose for being, which is to impart critical thinking.”
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National AFT President Randi Weingarten also released a statement condemning the TEA.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, released a statement condemning the Texas Education Agency for the letter. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Sadly, Texas officials, unlike their colleagues in Utah, decided to exploit the tragedy of Mr. Kirk’s senseless murder, rather than deescalate,” Weingarten said. “Their actions are a transparent effort to smear and shame educators, divide our communities, and deny our kids opportunities to learn and thrive. They are a state-sponsored attack on teachers because of what they thought were private comments to friends and family. And even if we think some of this speech is noxious, defending one’s right to speak is the essence of our democracy.”
She added, “You don’t lose your constitutional rights when you decide to become a teacher—the Constitution, for it to have any meaning at all, has to work for all Americans, not just some.”
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The AFT is seeking a permanent injunction of the TEA policy and investigations. The TEA declined to comment to Fox News Digital.
School officials across the country have been fired or reprimanded for appearing to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s assassination. (Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images)
In the weeks following Kirk’s assassination, several public school teachers across the nation were reprimanded or fired after going viral with controversial social media posts that appeared to celebrate his death.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott previously announced that more than 100 teachers in the state would have their teaching certifications suspended after investigators found they had called for or encouraged violence following Kirk’s assassination.
Fox News’ Kristine Parks contributed to this report.
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The Minnesota ICE shooting that resulted in the death of Renee Good has drawn strong reactions everywhere.
According to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Good was operating a vehicle that agents ordered her to exit. Good, according to Noem, refused and “attempted to run them over and ram them with her vehicle.”
After Vice President JD Vance delivered a strong statement defending ICE agents for their work, the White House posted a graphic with a portion of Vance’s plea and the caption, “STAND WITH ICE.”
Texas Rangers first baseman Mark Teixeira rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Baltimore Orioles at Ameriquest Field Aug. 7, 2005, in Arlington, Texas. (Tim Heitman/USA Today Sports )
Former MLB All-Star Mark Teixeira, who launched his campaign for Texas’ 21st Congressional District in August as a Republican to “help defend President Trump’s America First agenda,” voiced his support.
“I stand with ICE,” the former Texas Ranger, Atlanta Brave, Los Angeles Angel and New York Yankee wrote on X.
Teixeira’s announcement followed Rep. Chip Roy’s decision not to seek re-election and run for Texas attorney general. Roy, who represents the district, made the announcement in a campaign video shared on X last year. His video centered on preserving the Lone Star State’s legacy of “liberty, freedom and self-determination.”
Former New York Yankee Mark Teixeira throws out the first pitch before a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Yankees in the 2019 ALDS at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports)
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Noem called the incident “domestic terrorism.”
“An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot to protect himself and the people around him,” she said.
Federal authorities said Good tried to run over ICE agents who were part of a 2,000-member team sent to the Twin Cities to round up and deport undocumented immigrant criminals.
Teixeira, 45, played 14 seasons in the majors. He debuted with the Rangers in 2003 but is perhaps best known for being an MVP candidate and World Series champion with the Yankees, the final stop of his career.
New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira hits an RBI single against the Oakland Athletics during the sixth inning at the Oakland Coliseum May 22, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. (Kelley L Cox/USA Today Sports)
One of the best hitters in the game, Teixeira was a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and finished his career with a .269 batting average and 409 home runs. He was a five-time Gold Glove winner and was a member of the Yankees’ 2009 World Series championship team.
The congressional race is set for November 2026, with a primary scheduled for March.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
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