NEW YORK — Federal and local authorities say a 26-year-old man was arrested after an undercover New York Police Department operation uncovered an alleged plot to firebomb the Brooklyn home of Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani.
Officials identified the suspect as Alexander Heifler, who was taken into custody Thursday at his Hoboken, New Jersey, residence. Investigators say he was assembling Molotov cocktails when arrested. The case stems from a weekslong undercover effort in which an NYPD detective infiltrated a group chat used by Heifler, authorities said.
An official familiar with the probe identified Heifler as a member of JDL 613 Brotherhood, a New Jersey-based group formed in 2024 that describes members as ‘Jewish warriors’ responding to rising antisemitism. The group’s website says it draws inspiration from the original Jewish Defense League, which has been linked in past reporting to bombings and attempted assassinations of Arab American activists in the 1970s and 1980s. An email inquiry to JDL 613 was not returned.
Kiswani, 31, leads the pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime and is a frequent organizer of New York protests against Israel and the war in Gaza. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and infant son. Kiswani said law enforcement informed her late Thursday that they had disrupted a credible threat to her life. She also said the foiled plot will not deter her activism.
According to a criminal complaint filed by an FBI agent, Heifler participated in a February video call with several people, including the undercover detective, where he discussed self-defense training and looking for a place to throw Molotov cocktails. The complaint says Heifler told participants that they had Kiswani’s address and discussed plans to use Molotovs against her and then flee the country.
Investigators allege Heifler and the undercover officer drove to Kiswani’s residence on March 4 to conduct surveillance. They later discussed making about a dozen Molotov cocktails to target her home and two vehicles parked outside, the complaint says. When agents executed a search warrant at Heifler’s Hoboken apartment, they found components for incendiary devices including a large bottle of Everclear and recovered eight assembled Molotov cocktails.
Heifler was charged in a federal criminal complaint with making and possessing destructive devices, counts that each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. He made an initial appearance in federal court in New Jersey on Friday; messages left for his attorney were not returned. An official said Heifler had discussed plans to flee to Israel after carrying out an attack.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said city officials will not tolerate violent extremism and expressed relief that Kiswani is safe. The operation was led by the NYPD’s Racially and Ethnically Motivated Extremism unit within the department’s counterterrorism bureau. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the case illustrates how intelligence and counterterrorism work is designed to detect threats early and prevent violence.
Kiswani and Within Our Lifetime have drawn criticism for statements calling to abolish Zionism and for rhetoric that some interpret as endorsing violence; she denies her activism is antisemitic. She and others say public rhetoric from some officials and pro-Zionist groups has amplified hostility toward Palestinians and contributed to threats like the one authorities say was thwarted this week.