CNN
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An American man was arrested Sunday after allegedly planned to throw a Molotov cocktail at a branch of the US embassy in Israel, according to the US Department of Justice.
Authorities arrested 28-year-old Joseph Neumeyer at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, at John F. Kennedy Airport, New York, according to a Justice Department news release.
The DOJ, a German citizen, Neumayer, also arrived at the US embassy in Tel Aviv on May 19th and was allegedly spitting on the embassy security guards without provocation.
Neumeyer said the guards tried to detain him and left his backpack and somehow broke freely, DOJ said, citing the complaint.
The security guards discovered three Molotov cocktails in their backpacks, the department said. Law enforcement tracked Neumeyer down to his hotel in Israel where he was arrested.
Authorities searched Neumayer’s social media. This is said to have included posts before that day. His pages are said to have included the phrase “death to America, death to Americans” and the threat of assassinating US President Donald Trump.
“The defendant is being charged with planning a catastrophic attack targeting our embassy in Israel and threatening death to the lives of Americans and President Trump,” Attorney General Pamela Bondy said.
Kash Patel, director of the FBI, said: “This mean and violent behavior is not tolerated at home or abroad, and the FBI will work with our partners to bring him to face justice for his dangerous behavior.”
Neumeyer is said to have arrived in Israel last month. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, according to the Justice Department.
The revelation of Neumayer’s accusation comes shortly after the fatal shootings of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington, D.C. The killing is being investigated as a terrorist act, police said, after the shooting cried out “free Palestine” and told law enforcement that he “did it for Gaza.”
Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem is meeting with senior government officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after the shooting.
