NEW YORK โ Officials announced the arrest of a dual citizen of the U.S. and Germany, who is facing charges for attempting to attack the U.S. Embassyโs branch office in Tel Aviv with firebombs.
Federal prosecutors from New York revealed that Joseph Neumeyer approached the embassy on May 19 armed with Molotov cocktails in a backpack. An encounter with a security guard ensued, forcing Neumeyer to flee and abandon his backpack as the guard tried to take hold of him.
Authorities were able to locate Neumeyer later at a hotel situated a few blocks from the embassy, where he was subsequently detained. This information is detailed in a criminal complaint lodged in the Eastern District of New York.
This attempted attack occurred amid ongoing conflicts in Gaza, a situation that had been persisting for 19 months at the time.
The 28-year-old Neumeyer, hailing from Colorado and holding dual citizenship, had traveled from the U.S. to Canada in early February. By late April, he had reached Israel. Reports indicate that ahead of this incident, he had also posted numerous threatening messages on social media platforms.
After the incident, Israeli officials removed Neumeyer from the country, sending him to New York on Saturday. His initial court proceedings were held before a federal judge in Brooklyn on Sunday, where the charges against him were made public.
Attorney Jeff Dahlberg, who has been appointed to represent Neumeyer, opted not to provide any comments regarding the case.
Previously, during President Donald Trumpโs administration, a significant decision was made to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, leading to the relocation of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to this contested city, despite objections from the Palestinian community.
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