US Citizen Arrested in JFK After Alleged Tel Aviv Embassy Attack Attempt
A dual U.S. and German citizen, Joseph Neumayer, 28, faces federal charges after allegedly attempting to firebomb a branch office of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel. Neumayer was arrested by FBI special agents at John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport in New York on Sunday, following his deportation by Israeli authorities on Saturday. He appeared in court on Sunday and has been ordered held without bail pending trial.
According to the Justice Department and court documents, the alleged incident occurred on May 19. Neumayer reportedly approached an employee entrance at the U.S. Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv carrying a backpack. When stopped by a security guard, he allegedly became aggressive, saying “f—k you” in English, spitting on the guard, and attempting to flee.
In the ensuing confrontation, Neumayer allegedly dropped his backpack as he ran away. Investigators quickly recovered the backpack and discovered it contained three rudimentary Molotov cocktails, improvised incendiary devices described as bottles filled with vodka.
Social Media Threats and Erratic Posts
After the incident at the embassy, Israeli police located Neumayer at a nearby hotel, where he was arrested. Authorities subsequently reviewed his social media accounts, revealing a series of alarming posts made prior to the alleged attack attempt.
Federal prosecutors cited posts including explicit threats against the embassy and Americans. One Facebook post from May 19 allegedly read: “Join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America. Death to Americans and f—k the west.” Officials also stated Neumayer made threats against President Donald Trump in social media posts on another account believed to be connected to him. Some reports indicate he also allegedly threatened Elon Musk.
Further examination of Neumayer’s online activity reportedly showed rambling conspiracy theories and what appeared to be erratic and contradictory political views. These posts allegedly included both the anti-Israel rallying cry “From the River to the Sea” alongside “long live the Fourth Reich,” while also reportedly expressing support for Israel’s Eurovision candidate. His social media presence is also said to have featured pro-Russian and anti-Ukraine propaganda, and calls for overturning British rule in Northern Ireland. Court documents reportedly noted Neumayer claimed to be the founder and CEO of a company called Atlas Light Company, among other startups.
Charges and Official Response
Neumayer, originally from Colorado, had reportedly been living in the U.S. until February before traveling to Canada and arriving in Israel on April 23, roughly a month before the alleged incident. Upon his deportation from Israel, he was turned over to U.S. authorities at JFK Airport.
He has been charged with attempting to destroy, by means of fire or explosive, the U.S. Embassy branch in Tel Aviv. This charge carries a maximum potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison if he is convicted. He is also charged in relation to the threats made against President Trump.
U.S. officials strongly condemned the alleged actions. Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated that Neumayer is charged with planning a “devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump’s life.” She emphasized that the Department of Justice “will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Director Kash Patel echoed this sentiment, calling the alleged actions “despicable and violent behavior” that “will not be tolerated at home or abroad.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen added that Neumayer “not only made threats against Americans and U.S. diplomatic missions, but also allegedly attempted to carry out those threats by bringing potentially deadly devices to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv,” sending a clear message that law enforcement will “aggressively pursue those who attempt to harm U.S. citizens and interests abroad.”
Unrelated Washington D.C. Incident
The arrest of Neumayer occurred just days after a separate, unrelated violent incident in Washington D.C. On the preceding Wednesday, two staff members from the Israeli Embassy, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were shot and killed outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum. Police identified the suspect in that shooting as Elias Rodriguez, who they say shouted “free Palestine” after his arrest. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is expected to attend a memorial service in Israel for the victims of the D.C. shooting. While the two incidents are distinct, they occurred in close proximity chronologically and involved attacks or alleged attacks targeting individuals or facilities connected to U.S. and Israeli interests.
References
- https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-citizen-arrested-planned-bomb-office-us-embassy-israel-rcna208989
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joseph-neumayer-molotov-cocktail-attempt-us-embassy-tel-aviv-israel/
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c780n71rr24o
- https://nypost.com/2025/05/25/us-news/colorado-man-tried-to-firebomb-us-embassy-office-in-israel-after-posting-death-to-america-feds/
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk2264nrn2o
