Man arrested in plot to firebomb Palestinian activist's home
A 26-year-old New Jersey man was arrested Thursday after an undercover NYPD operation uncovered a plan to attack activist Nerdeen Kiswani.
6:54 PM
A New Jersey man has been arrested following a weekslong undercover operation by the New York City Police Department after authorities said he planned to firebomb the home of a prominent Palestinian activist.
Alexander Heifler, 26, was taken into custody Thursday at his home in Hoboken, New Jersey, as he was assembling Molotov cocktails intended to be thrown at the residence of Nerdeen Kiswani, officials said. Kiswani, 31, is a Brooklyn-based Palestinian activist and co-founder of the pro-Palestinian demonstration group Within Our Lifetime, which frequently organizes protests in New York against Israel and the war in Gaza.
Federal authorities charged Heifler with unlawful possession and making of destructive devices. Court documents indicate that agents discovered eight Molotov cocktails at his Hoboken home. The charging document did not specify a motive for the planned attack.
Kiswani said in a statement that federal authorities informed her late Thursday that they had disrupted "a threat on my life that was about to take place."
According to police, Heifler had discussed the plot for weeks with an undercover NYPD officer who had infiltrated a group chat used by Heifler. Police described him as an "extremist with no criminal record with the New York Police Department." Heifler is a U.S. citizen.