American-German citizen charged with attempting to set fire to US Embassy in Israel
A citizen of the United States and Germany has been arrested on charges of attempting to set fire to the US Embassy in Tel Aviv. This was reported by the TV channel CBS News.
A 28-year-old man has been arrested for attempting to set fire to the U.S. Embassy in Israel in May and for threatening U.S. President Donald Trump, federal prosecutors said Sunday.
Joseph Neumeier, who holds US and German citizenship, was taken into custody at JFK Airport in New York by FBI special agents after being deported from Israel.
According to prosecutors, the man traveled to Israel in April. on May 19, he arrived at the US Embassy in Tel Aviv with a backpack. Without any provocation, he allegedly spat at an embassy security guard as he walked by and managed to escape when the guard tried to detain him. After the fight, he left his backpack outside the embassy.
Three bottles of Molotov cocktails were found in the backpack. Local law enforcement tracked the 28-year-old man to a hotel where he was arrested.
Investigators found that before going to the embassy, Neumeier allegedly posted the following message on social media: "Join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans and to hell with the West".
Law enforcement officials say the man also posted threats against Trump on social media.
Israel deported Neumayer on Sunday, May 25. After his arrest in New York, he was charged with attempting to destroy the US Embassy by arson or explosion. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
- on May 22, it became known that two Israeli embassy employees were shot dead in Washington, D.C.
- Trump condemned the attack, noting that "the killings in Washington are obviously based on anti-Semitism, based on anti-Semitism.".
- Israeli PM Netanyahu instructed to increase security in Israel's diplomatic missions around the world and for state representatives.
- Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Rubio and Macron reacted to the murder of Israeli embassy staff and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.