A 28-year-old dual U.S. and German citizen, Joseph Neumayer, has been arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after being deported from Israel for allegedly attempting to set fire to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Neumayer appeared in court and is currently being held in custody. The arrest followed an incident on May 19, when he allegedly tried to enter the embassy with a backpack containing three Molotov cocktails—homemade incendiary bombs made with flammable liquids. Security forces discovered the explosives near the embassy premises after Neumayer reportedly spat on a security guard and fled the scene, leaving the bag behind.
Authorities in Israel swiftly arrested him at a hotel where he was staying and later deported him. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi described the act as a premeditated attack aimed at destroying the embassy and endangering American lives, including that of former President Donald Trump.
Investigators say Neumayer had arrived in Israel in April and had posted threats on social media calling for attacks on the embassy and making violent statements against Americans and President Trump.
He now faces multiple serious charges in the U.S., including attempted use of explosives to damage federal property—a crime that could carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years.
His arrest comes amid rising security concerns following a separate violent incident in Washington, D.C., where an armed individual shot and killed two staff members of the Israeli embassy near a Jewish museum. Authorities are investigating possible connections between the two incidents.
The U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security is expected to attend a memorial ceremony in Israel honoring the victims.
