A dual U.S.-German citizen has been charged with attempting to firebomb the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, according to federal prosecutors. Authorities said the man, identified as 28-year-old Joseph Neumeyer, traveled to Israel earlier this year and approached the embassy’s employee entrance on May 19 with a backpack containing Molotov cocktails.
Israeli security personnel confronted Neumeyer after he spat at a guard, who attempted to detain him. Neumeyer fled, leaving the bag behind. Investigators later recovered three improvised incendiary devices and tracked him to a nearby hotel, where he was arrested by Israeli police.
What led up to the attempted attack?
Prosecutors said Neumeyer made several threatening posts on social media in the weeks leading up to the incident, including messages calling for violence against Americans and President Donald Trump. In one post dated March 22, Neumeyer wrote, “We are killing Trump and Musk now.” On May 19, he posted, “Join me this afternoon in Tel Aviv — we are burning down the US embassy.”
Court documents show Neumeyer left the United States in February, passed through Canada and arrived in Israel on April 23. Officials believe his actions were politically motivated, though no formal terrorism-related charges have been announced.
How did U.S. authorities respond?
After his arrest, Israeli authorities deported Neumeyer to New York, where he appeared Sunday before a federal judge in Brooklyn. He is currently being held without bail at the Metropolitan Detention Center. The Justice Department said he faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Neumeyer was charged with planning a “devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel.” FBI Director Kash Patel added that the U.S. will pursue prosecution “to the fullest extent of the law.”
What is the broader security context?
Neumeyer’s arrest comes amid heightened security concerns following the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington last week. The embassy attack in Tel Aviv has intensified concerns about politically motivated violence targeting diplomatic missions.
