Huckabee top aide modified and suppressed US embassy reporting critical of Israel: Report

A New York Times investigation reveals that David Milstein, a top aide to the U.S. ambassador to Israel, has repeatedly altered or suppressed embassy reporting critical of Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Milstein, 36, has allegedly blocked, rewritten, or delayed reports about illegal Israeli settlement expansion, settler violence, and the killings of Palestinian Americans.

US officials familiar with Milstein's work, as well as nine former diplomats, cited anonymous concerns that his interventions distorted the information reaching the U.S. government. Several officials told the NYT that Milstein's actions were more extensive than any recent predecessor.

For instance, Milstein blocked an urgent report about a major expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in March, as the region faced a war with Iran. He also rewrote a cable on Israeli settler violence, praising Israel for cracking down on it instead of reporting on the rise in violence. In another case, Milstein altered a report on Israeli investigations into the killing of nine Palestinian Americans, downplaying the lack of progress in the cases.

Milstein's alleged interventions also affected the volume of diplomatic reporting. He reportedly insisted on approving communications from the embassy's Palestinian affairs section, reducing the number of cables from several per week to only a few per month. This led to White House and State Department officials bypassing standard channels to communicate directly with embassy staff.

The NYT highlighted the international concern over Israel's illegal settlement activity, with the UK, Canada, and France announcing sanctions against the settlements in September. Despite this, Milstein's actions continued, raising doubts about the integrity of the embassy's reporting.