Top Huckabee Aide Rewrote Critical Reports to Favor Netanyahu Government

A senior aide to U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee repeatedly suppressed or rewrote embassy reports to favor Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, according to a New York Times investigation.

David Milstein’s interventions covered West Bank settlements, settler violence, the deaths of Palestinian Americans and Gaza aid operations, officials told the newspaper.

Huckabee rejected the allegations without addressing specific incidents. “I personally and categorically refute the elements of your proposed ‘story,’” he said.

Blocking West Bank Warnings

In late March, Israel approved a record number of West Bank settlements in a single decision.

Embassy officers drafted an urgent assessment warning that the expansion could conflict with President Donald Trump’s opposition to annexation.

According to three officials familiar with the process, Milstein prevented the memo from reaching Washington.

Officials described similar interventions as settler violence increased during the spring.

Milstein obstructed reporting that Israeli authorities were failing to respond adequately; a subsequent cable instead praised the government’s response.

In April, Israeli military commanders warned that settler attacks could trigger another Palestinian uprising.

Three officials said Milstein blocked embassy reports conveying those warnings in their original form.

A cable listing him as its first author instead emphasized Netanyahu’s measures against the violence.

Milstein also played down a February policy easing Israeli land purchases in the West Bank.

An embassy assessment reviewed by the Times presented the measure as addressing settlers’ humanitarian needs without explaining them.

Withholding Findings on American Deaths

Milstein also intervened after lawmakers demanded information about nine Palestinian Americans killed by Israeli settlers or soldiers in the West Bank over four years.

Following the February killing of 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siyam, 30 members of Congress led by Senator Chris Van Hollen sought answers from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Embassy officers completed an assessment in March.

Officials briefed on its contents said most investigations had made little progress, some had been closed, and none had resulted in charges.

Milstein withheld the report and argued for a response portraying Israel’s handling of the investigations as adequate, according to officials familiar with the discussions.

The State Department’s May 4 reply emphasized wartime security responsibilities and cooperation with Israel on accountability, without supplying the detailed findings lawmakers had sought.

Recasting a Gaza Aid Warning

During the summer of 2025, embassy diplomats warned that chaotic and deadly conditions around Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites risked further mass casualties.

Milstein rewrote the cable to characterize the operation as successful while omitting the mass casualties, according to people familiar with the document and editing process.

Discrepancies between public reporting and embassy assessments prompted White House and State Department officials to contact embassy staff directly at least twice.

“The embassy ought to tell Washington everything, the good, the bad and the ugly,” said former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer.

A Narrowing Reporting Channel

Milstein joined the embassy in April 2025. Huckabee gave him broad oversight, particularly on Gaza and the West Bank.

Officials said his requirement to approve communications on Palestinian affairs reduced cable output from several a week to a few a month.

Some staff stopped drafting reports because they expected interference.

The Times interviewed 15 U.S. officials and nine former diplomats, and examined dozens of internal records. Sources spoke anonymously for fear of reprisals.

Huckabee’s knowledge of individual interventions remains uncertain.

Officials said Milstein sometimes acted independently, sometimes worked with the ambassador, and was occasionally overruled by him.

The State Department emphasized its commitment to Trump’s agenda.

It remains unclear whether the interventions altered White House policy, but officials warned that distorted reporting could undermine decisions in Washington.