A German accused of trying to burn down the US embassy in Tel Aviv
US authorities in New York have formally charged a man with dual German-US citizenship after he was suspected of attempting to carry out an arson attack on a US embassy building in Tel Aviv.
According to a statement issued by the US Department of Justice, the 28-year-old suspect is suspected of attempting to start a fire with Molotov cocktails at the consulate building on the Israeli coast.
He was arrested by FBI agents on Sunday at a New York airport, following his deportation to the United States by Israeli authorities.
The suspect approached the consulate building in mid-May carrying a backpack, spat at a guard, and fled, leaving the backpack behind. Investigators found three improvised incendiary devices inside, and he was later arrested at a hotel in Israel.
Investigations revealed that the man had written inflammatory posts on social media prior to the attack, including: “Join me in burning down the embassy in Tel Aviv” and “Death to America,” in addition to explicit death threats against former US President Donald Trump.
The defendant appeared in a New York court on Sunday and is currently in custody awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
