The German tourist detained on Monday on suspicion of preparing to firebomb the US Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv had telegraphed his intentions through explicit social media posts. Mere hours before authorities apprehended him, the suspect published an open invitation asking people to "join me as I burn down the US Embassy in Tel Aviv this afternoon."
The incident involved a 27-year-old German national who was taken into custody Monday evening after allegedly spitting toward an embassy building's security guard and discarding a bag containing materials for manufacturing incendiary devices in proximity to the US diplomatic compound in Tel Aviv.
The would-be attacker's social media is replete with pro-Palestinian propaganda and anti-US posts, suggesting his plot was meant to protest US and Israeli policy regarding the ongoing war in Gaza.
Police bomb disposal units summoned to the location examined the abandoned bag and discovered suspicious contents, including flammable substances and glass bottles – materials consistent with those used for producing Molotov cocktails. Concurrently, law enforcement conducted widespread searches throughout central Tel Aviv, quickly locating and apprehending the suspect.
The man subsequently acknowledged his connection to the incident and was transported to the local police station for further investigation.
