Topline
Law enforcement arrested a 28-year-old suspect Sunday after he allegedly tried to attack the U.S. embassy in Israel, the Justice Department announced, with the arrest coming days after a shooting in Washington, D.C., killed two staff members at the Israeli embassy.
The U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Key Facts
Joseph Neumeyer was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, after Israeli authorities sent him back to the U.S. following his initial arrest in Tel Aviv.
Neumeyer, a dual citizen of Germany and the U.S., arrived in Israel in April and went to the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv on May 19, according to the DOJ, where a security guard attempted to detain him after Neumeyer spit on the guard.
Neumeyer broke free from the guard but left his backpack behind, which contained “three rudimentary improvised incendiary devices commonly known as Molotov cocktails,” the DOJ alleges.
Law enforcement later arrested Neumeyer at his hotel and discovered the suspect had posted earlier in the day on social media that he was planning to attack the U.S. embassy, allegedly writing, “Join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans, and f—-k the west.”
The suspect also made threats on social media suggesting he wanted to assassinate President Donald Trump, the DOJ alleges.
Neumeyer appeared in court Sunday in New York and was ordered to be detained, according to the government.
What To Watch For
Neumeyer was charged based on his alleged attempt to firebomb the U.S. embassy and his threats against the president’s life. It is unclear if he has entered a plea of guilty or not guilty. If convicted, the suspect faces between five and 20 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines, according to the DOJ.
What We Don’t Know
Authorities did not say what they believe Neumeyer’s motivations were for the alleged attack plan and his opposition to the U.S., as well as whether the suspect’s alleged actions were at all related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
News Peg
Neumeyer’s alleged attempt to attack the U.S. embassy in Israel on May 19 took place days before a deadly shooting killed members of Israel’s embassy in the U.S. Suspect Elias Rodriguez allegedly opened fire Wednesday evening outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., killing embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. The suspect then fled into the museum, where he was briefly mistaken as being a witness to the crime before admitting to police, “I did it, I did it for Gaza. Free Palestine,” according to witness testimony. Rodriguez is now in custody and has been indicted on five felony counts, including first degree murder and murder of foreign officials. He has not entered a plea, according to ABC News.
Further Reading
