U.S.-German Citizen Charged Attempting Firebomb U.S. Embassy Office Tel Aviv

Joseph Neumeyer, a dual U.S.-German citizen, was arrested and charged with attempting to firebomb a branch office of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv on May 19, carrying Molotov cocktails in a backpack. After a confrontation with a security guard, Neumeyer fled, dropping the backpack, which was found to contain three improvised incendiary devices, and was subsequently tracked to a nearby hotel and arrested. He was deported from Israel to New York, where he appeared in federal court and faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Neumeyer had made threatening social media posts, including calls to "burn down the embassy" and threats against President Donald Trump and others. This incident occurred amid heightened tensions, following the ongoing conflict in Gaza and a recent deadly shooting of Israeli embassy staff in Washington, D.C. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi condemned the attempted attack and vowed full prosecution.