Embassy Terror Plot Foiled: American’s Shocking Firebomb Plan

On Sunday, May 25, 2025, Joseph Neumayer, a 28-year-old dual U.S.-German citizen from Colorado, was arrested at New York’s JFK Airport after being deported from Israel for allegedly attempting to firebomb the U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv on May 19, as reported by NBC News and Fox News. Neumayer faces federal charges in Brooklyn for attempting to destroy a U.S. government facility with fire or explosives, carrying a potential sentence of five to 20 years and a $250,000 fine. The arrest follows a swift response by Israeli and U.S. authorities, averting a potential tragedy.

Court documents reveal that Neumayer posted on Facebook on May 19, stating, “Join me this afternoon in Tel Aviv, we are burning down the U.S. embassy,” and “Join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans, and f---k the west.” He also made online threats to assassinate President Donald Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and others. That day, Neumayer approached the embassy on HaYarkon Street, spat on a security guard without provocation, and fled after the guard attempted to detain him, leaving behind a backpack containing three Molotov cocktails filled with flammable liquid. Israeli police, with an explosive ordinance disposal team, neutralized the devices, and no one was harmed.

Israeli authorities tracked Neumayer to a Tel Aviv hotel, arresting him without incident. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi declared, “The Department will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.” FBI Director Kash Patel called the behaviour “despicable and violent,” while U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. praised the Israeli partnership that prevented loss of life. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche expressed gratitude to Israeli law enforcement. The incident follows heightened tensions after the May 21 killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., condemned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an anti-Semitic act. Neumayer, remanded pending trial, underscores ongoing threats to U.S. diplomatic missions, with the FBI vowing continued vigilance.