A New Jersey man has been arrested on terror charges after he allegedly sought to send money to support Hamas, as well as expressing a desire to shoot pro-Israel supporters at a march and bomb the Israeli consulate and Trump Tower.
The man — identified as Jonathan Xie, 20, of Basking Ridge — also allegedly sent money abroad to support Hamas. The U.S. attorney’s office says Xie sent $100 in December to a person he thought was affiliated with a faction of Hamas. In an online video, he allegedly displayed a handgun and said he wanted to “shoot the pro-Israel demonstrators.”
He also allegedly made threats against pro-Israel groups in the U.S.
Xie is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, making false statements and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
Xie appeared in federal court in Newark Wednesday. He is being held without bail. His public defender didn’t say whether he would file a motion for a bail hearing.
Xie entered the courtroom in shackles and wearing a green T-shirt and dark sweat pants. His only comments during the brief hearing were to say he understood the judge’s instructions.
According to court records, Xie considered joining the U.S. Army, quoting him as saying he wanted “to learn how to kill … So I can use that knowledge.”
He allegedly appeared in an Instagram Live video last month in which he displayed a Hamas flag, retrieved a handgun and stated “I’m gonna go to the (expletive) pro-Israel march and I’m going to shoot everybody.”
In another Instagram post, according to court records, Xie is quoted as saying, “I want to shoot the pro-Israel demonstrators … you can get a gun and shoot your way through or use a vehicle and ram people… all you need is a gun or a vehicle to go on a rampage.”
On social media, Xie posted about his support of Syria’s Bashar al Assad, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and North Korea.
Afte the FBI observed Xie outside of the Trump Tower in April. he posted two photos to Instagram: One with the words “I want to bomb Trump Tower” imposed over the building image and the other with the words “(S)hould I bomb Trump Tower,” a “Yes No” poll, and an emoji of a bomb imposed over the Trump Tower building image.
Xie subsequently posted on Instagram, “Okay, so I went to NYC today and passed by Trump Tower and then I started laughing hysterically . . . I forgot to visit the Israeli embassy in NYC . . .i want to bomb this place along with Trump Tower.”
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