Nerdeen Kiswani, an American activist based in New York who advocates for Palestinians, revealed on Friday that the FBI had thwarted an assassination plot against her. Authorities claim to have arrested a man in possession of incendiary devices.
“Late last night, the FBI Counterterrorism Task Force informed me that a plot to take my life was ‘on the verge’ of happening,” stated Nerdeen Kiswani. She mentioned that a police operation took place in Hoboken, New Jersey (east of New York) in relation to this matter.
The federal prosecutor’s office in the state announced the arrest of a man identified as Alexander Heifler, 26 years old, for “illegal possession and manufacturing of destructive devices,” specifically Molotov cocktails.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the young man planned to “use these homemade incendiary devices against another person’s home.” The New York Times reported that eight Molotov cocktails were found in the suspect’s possession, which he intended to use against the activist’s residence.
Nerdeen Kiswani leads the group Within Our Lifetime, which is actively involved in organizing pro-Palestinian demonstrations in New York, especially during the Gaza conflict. She has frequently been targeted online by pro-Israeli groups.
Last month, she filed a lawsuit against the American branch of Betar, an international right-wing Jewish movement, alleging that they incited individuals on social media to harass or assault her.
“For months, Zionist organizations like Betar and political figures like Randy Fine have been encouraging violence against my family and me (…) I will continue to defend the Palestinian people,” she wrote.
Randy Fine, a Republican elected official from Florida, responded to one of Nerdeen Kiswani’s posts by stating, “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not difficult.” She later clarified that this message was meant to be ironic.
“The troubling case underscores the growing climate of harassment, threats, and violence against those who speak out on Palestinian rights and other issues of social justice,” said the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights organization advocating for Muslims.
