A man with dual American and German citizenship has been arrested on charges that he traveled to Israel and attempted to set off a firebomb at the US embassy in Tel Aviv, the Associated Press and DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
According to the federal prosecutor's office in New York, cited by the AP, 28-year-old Joseph (Josef) Neumeier entered the embassy building on May 19 with a backpack containing a Molotov cocktail. There, however, he got into an argument with security and fled, throwing away his backpack when the security guard tried to detain him.
Police found and detained Neumeier at a hotel a few blocks from the American embassy.
According to court documents, the man, originally from Colorado, traveled from the United States to Canada in early February, then arrived in Israel in late April. Before the failed attack, he made a series of threats in social media posts.
According to the US Department of Justice, quoted by DPA, on the day of the attack, the perpetrator posted his intention to burn down the embassy building and made death threats against the US, Americans and the West.
Threats to assassinate US President Donald Trump were also made on other social media accounts from an account believed to have been used by Neumeier.
Neumeier was deported from Israel to the US on Saturday. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
During his first term, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the U.S. embassy there.