New York Man Arrested for Attempted Firebombing of U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv
A man with dual U.S.-German citizenship, Joseph Neumeyer, has been taken into custody on charges of trying to firebomb the branch office of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, according to federal prosecutors in New York. The incident occurred on May 19 when Neumeyer approached the embassy building with a backpack containing Molotov cocktails. However, he was confronted by a guard and fled the scene, dropping his backpack in the process.
Law enforcement officials were able to locate Neumeyer at a nearby hotel and apprehend him shortly after the incident. The arrest was made following a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York.
The attempted attack occurred amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which has been ongoing for 19 months.
Neumeyer, 28, originally from Colorado, had traveled from the U.S. to Canada in February before arriving in Israel in April. Prior to the attack, he had posted threatening messages on social media, as stated by prosecutors.
After being deported from Israel, Neumeyer appeared in court in Brooklyn, where his criminal complaint was made public. His court-appointed attorney, Jeff Dahlberg, declined to comment on the case.
It is worth noting that during his presidency, Donald Trump controversially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocated the U.S. Embassy to the disputed city from Tel Aviv.
