US-German dual citizen arrested for attempting to firebomb US Embassy in Israel
Man accused of plotting to attack US embassy in Israel
A dual U.S.-German citizen is accused of trying to firebomb the branch office of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, officials said. FOX 5 NY's Briella Tomassetti has the story.
NEW YORK CITY - A 28-year-old U.S.-German citizen was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport for allegedly attempting to destroy a branch office of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, federal prosecutors report.
Timeline of events
What we know:
Stated in a complaint unsealed Sunday at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Joseph Neumayer arrived in Israel in April 2025 – he arrived outside the embassy branch office on May 19.
On that same day, Neumeyer posted on his Facebook account "join me this afternoon in Tel Aviv we are burning down the U.S. embassy," the complaint alleges. Neumeyer’s social media accounts also contained posts that called for the assassination of President Donald Trump.
Neumeyer spat on an Embassy guard as he walked past, who attempted to detain him; breaking free, Neumeyer abandoned a backpack he had been carrying, which contained three rudimentary Molotov cocktails.
Law enforcement arrested him at his hotel after tracking him down. Israeli authorities returned Neumeyer to the United States on May 25. According to the United States Department of Justice, Joseph Neumayer was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport by FBI special agents earlier Sunday.
"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.
Read through the full unsealed complaint below.
What's next:
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from the FBI New York Field Office. If convicted, Neumeyer faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine in the amount of $250,000.
The arrest comes days after two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.