NYPD Arrests Alexander Heifler Assembling Eight Molotovs In Hoboken Plot To Firebomb Nerdeen Kiswani's Home

The single most important new development is the public arrest of Alexander Heifler in Hoboken after a weekslong undercover NYPD operation that exposed an imminent plan to firebomb the home of Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani.

“NYPD, FBI disrupt alleged plot to kill a Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani said she was informed by police of the plot”

ABC News

Eight Molotov cocktails were recovered in a Hoboken residence, and Heifler faces charges for making and possessing destructive devices; investigators say the plan included throwing the devices at Kiswani’s home and at nearby cars.

ABC News

The case rests on a weeks-long online-to-in-person sting that began with a February 10 group video call in which Heifler discussed Molotovs and training, and prosecutors say he intended to flee to Israel after the attack.

Heifler’s ties to a Jewish extremist offshoot—the JDL 613 Brotherhood—are cited in court documents as part of the context around the plot.

The operation, conducted by the NYPD with federal support, culminated in a Thursday-night arrest after undercover officers witnessed Heifler assembling devices in his Hoboken residence.

The February 10 online group call included discussions about training with Molotov cocktails and where to throw them, according to investigators.

By March 4 the undercover officer accompanied Heifler to Kiswani’s residence to conduct surveillance and discuss throwing a dozen Molotov cocktails at the home and at two cars nearby.

ABC7 Chicago

On March 26, authorities say Heifler was found assembling eight Molotov cocktails at his Hoboken home, leading to his arrest.

Heifler told the undercover officer he had Kiswani’s address and an escape plan to leave the country, initially targeting late April and then mid-May.

Indictments and reports also identify Heifler as a member of the JDL 613 Brotherhood, providing a contextual link to extremist networks cited by prosecutors.

Heifler’s alleged ties to the JDL 613 Brotherhood place the plot within a history of extremism linked to the original Jewish Defense League, a factor prosecutors cite in assessing the threat level.

“HOBOKEN, New Jersey (WABC) -- The NYPD and the FBI disrupted an alleged plot to kill a pro-Palestinian activist in Hoboken, according to the woman targeted, law enforcement officials and a criminal complaint unsealed Friday in Newark”

ABC7 New York

Non-Western outlets emphasize the broader climate of harassment and surveillance facing Palestinian rights activists in the United States, and how political rhetoric can translate into real danger for organizers like Kiswani.

Mondoweiss and The Guardian describe Kiswani’s activism and the persistent targeting she faces from pro-Israel networks and supporters of Israel’s policies in Gaza.

Al Jazeera highlights the pattern of pressure on Palestinian advocacy within West Asia and its diaspora, adding international context to the local Newark-Hoboken case.

Heifler is charged with unlawful possession of firearms and unlawful making of destructive devices, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Authorities say the NYPD’s undercover operation disrupted an imminent attack and that Kiswani was informed of the disruption late Thursday.

Al Jazeera

NPR describes the arrest as taking place after an undercover operation; The Guardian emphasizes the undercover nature of the investigation and the eventual custody.

BBC notes the charges describe a planned violent attack against a New York-based pro-Palestinian activist, signaling the gravity of the threat.

The proceedings situate Kiswani’s safety within a broader pattern of threats to Palestinian activists amid the Gaza crisis and related domestic pressure.