Anti-Israel Extremist Sentenced After Firebombing Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion

A Pennsylvania man who firebombed the governor’s residence over anti-Israel hatred has pleaded guilty to terrorism and attempted homicide, ending one of the most disturbing acts of political violence the state has ever seen.

Cody Balmer, 38, admitted in court Tuesday that he broke into Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence in the early morning hours of April 13, armed with homemade incendiary devices, and set multiple fires as Shapiro who is Jewish slept inside with his family. Security footage showed Balmer scaling the fence, infiltrating the mansion, and throwing firebombs onto the floor before fleeing.

Shapiro and his family narrowly escaped after being awakened by state troopers. The blaze caused over $7 million in damage, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Balmer later called police and confessed to the attack, saying he refused to “take part in [Shapiro’s] plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.”

The admission wasn’t political it was ideological hatred.

“If I saw him, I would have beaten him with a hammer,” Balmer told authorities, adding that he targeted the governor because of his pro-Israel stance.

Balmer pleaded guilty to attempted homicide, terrorism, and dozens of arson-related charges and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison.

While Democrats and media outlets tried to frame the attack as another example of “right-wing extremism,” the facts tell a different story. Balmer’s online history is filled with anti-Israel and far-left rhetoric, as well as posts attacking both President Trump and President Biden. According to The New York Post, he frequently espoused “progressive” causes and accused pro-Israel Democrats like Shapiro of being “monsters.”

Even worse, some in the media shamelessly tried to spin the story. CNN’s Don Lemon and MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough suggested the crime was inspired by “right-wing hate” ignoring Balmer’s clear anti-Israel motives and leftist ideological leanings. It’s the same tired media playbook: when violence emerges from their own political backyard, they rewrite the narrative.

Balmer’s mother later told reporters her son suffered from mental illness and had gone off his medication, but his social media activity paints a picture of calculated rage, not confusion. In 2023, police charged him with multiple counts of assault after he allegedly beat his wife and teenage son another sign of an unhinged, violent pattern that escalated over time.

The attack comes amid rising antisemitic violence in America, especially from far-left movements using the war in Gaza as justification for hate. Across college campuses and city streets, Jewish Americans are being harassed and threatened, while Democrat leaders often remain silent or make excuses.

Governor Shapiro, who had been considered as a potential running mate for then–Vice President Kamala Harris last year, faced fierce backlash from his own party’s progressive wing for supporting Israel’s right to defend itself. Harris ultimately chose Minnesota’s Tim Walz as her VP pick a move some insiders privately admitted was meant to appease the party’s growing anti-Israel faction.

This case is a stark reminder of what unchecked political extremism looks like. When antisemitic propaganda and pro-Hamas rhetoric are normalized, it leads to real violence even against a Democratic governor in his own home.

While the justice system has done its part by locking up Balmer for decades, the bigger question remains: how long will America’s leaders keep ignoring the dangerous strain of anti-Israel hatred festering within their own ranks?

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