Alleged Bomb Plot Against NYC Pro-Palestinian Activist Thwarted

(MENAFN- Live Mint) (Bloomberg) -- Federal and New York City authorities arrested a man this week who they allege plotted to firebomb the Staten Island home of a pro-Palestinian activist, the latest in a string of politically motivated violence cases in the city.

Alexander Heifler was taken into custody Thursday following a joint FBI and NYPD investigation into an alleged scheme targeting Nerdeen Kiswani, a co-founder of the group Within Our Lifetime, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The case grew out of an undercover operation by the NYPD Intelligence Bureau's Racially and Ethnically Motivated Extremism unit, where an investigator infiltrated an online group chat in February that included individuals espousing far-right and extremist views, according to the person, who declined to be identified discussing confidential matters.

The arrest comes amid heightened concern over politically and ideologically driven threats in New York. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors charged two men accused of bringing improvised explosive devices to a protest outside the mayor's residence, in what officials described as an ISIS-inspired attack.

Heifler raised the idea of using a Molotov cocktail during a Feb. 10 exchange and later acknowledged in a message that he should avoid using the term, according to a federal criminal complaint. An undercover officer encouraged him to continue the discussion offline, and the two met in person the following day, where Heifler expanded on plans to attack Kiswani's home.

During that meeting, Heifler said he already had the address and outlined a plan to carry out the attack shortly before leaving the country, initially targeting late April and later pushing the timeline to mid-May, according to the complaint. He also proposed using a car with fake license plates and avoiding phones or identification to limit detection, the complaint said.

Heifler was charged in federal court in New Jersey with unlawful possession of Molotov cocktails, according the complaint. The court docket did not list information for a lawyer for Heifler.

The case is USA v. Heifler, 26-mj-15052. US District Court, District of New Jersey (Newark).

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