US citizen arrested for attempted firebombing of embassy office in Israel

A United States citizen has been arrested and charged with attempting to firebomb the branch office of the U.S. Embassy located in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Joseph Neumeyer, a 28-year-old dual U.S. and German citizen, was arrested Sunday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York for attempting to destroy the embassy branch office on May 19. 

If convicted, Neumeyer will face at least five years in prison, with a possible maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars, as well as a maximum fine of $250,000.

Prosecutors say Neumeyer arrived outside the Tel Aviv embassy, spat on a guard and left behind a backpack that held three Molotov cocktails, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Law enforcement arrested Neumeyer at his hotel and deported him to the U.S. He made an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo of the Eastern District of New York.

Social media posts by Neumeyer revealed that, in advance of his trip to the embassy, Neumeyer invited people to "join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv."

"Death to America, death to Americans, and f— the West."

Investigators found additional social media posts from an account allegedly used by Neumeyer revealing threats to assassinate President Donald Trump.

"This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump's life," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law."

FBI Director Kash Patel said such "despicable and violent behavior will not be tolerated at home or abroad, and the FBI, working with our partners, will bring him to face justice for his dangerous actions."

Last week, an individual shot and killed Israeli Embassy staff members Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a couple that was about to be engaged, outside of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

Elias Rodriguez, a 30-year-old suspect who was arrested shortly after the shooting, allegedly shouted "free Palestine" as he opened fire at an event that the couple was attending. Before the attack, he had reportedly published a post on social media opposing the Israeli and U.S. governments for what he claimed were atrocities committed against Palestinians in Gaza since the war began in 2023.