May 26, 2025
A 28-year-old dual U.S.-German citizen has been arrested and charged with attempting to firebomb a U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv, Israel, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Joseph Neumeyer, originally from Colorado, allegedly approached the embassy on May 19 carrying a backpack containing three Molotov cocktails. He reportedly spat on a security guard and fled the scene, leaving the backpack behind. Israeli authorities apprehended Neumeyer at a nearby hotel shortly after the incident.
Prior to the attempted attack, Neumeyer had posted threats on social media expressing intentions to “burn down the embassy” and made statements like “Death to America.” He also made threats against former President Donald Trump and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Following his arrest, Neumeyer was deported from Israel and taken into custody by FBI agents upon arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. He appeared in federal court in Brooklyn on May 25, where he was ordered detained pending trial.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated that Neumeyer is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting the U.S. embassy and threatening American lives. She emphasized that he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
If convicted, Neumeyer faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The incident has raised concerns about the security of U.S. diplomatic missions abroad, especially in regions experiencing heightened tensions. The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, while no longer the primary diplomatic mission following its relocation to Jerusalem in 2018, remains a symbolic presence in Israel.
