Jerusalem:A senior adviser at the US Embassy in Jerusalem has reportedly suppressed and altered internal diplomatic communications to protect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government from scrutiny by US authorities.
According to Anadolu Agency, David Milstein, a key aide to US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, has been implicated in modifying assessments intended for senior US policymakers. This information was revealed through an investigation based on interviews with over a dozen US officials and a review of internal State Department documents.
One significant instance occurred in late March when Israel approved extensive expansions in the occupied West Bank. Embassy staff initially drafted a warning alert about the potential violation of US President Donald Trump's red line against annexation. However, Milstein intervened, framing the land acquisitions as a domestic issue and sending a revised text that claimed the actions addressed unspecified humanitarian needs.
Milstein also reportedly altered reports concerning increased violence in the West Bank. When Israeli military leaders expressed concerns that attacks by occupiers could provoke a Palestinian uprising, he blocked dispatches that suggested Israel's inaction. Instead, an embassy cable under his name commended Netanyahu's efforts and claimed active measures were being taken to address the unrest.
Furthermore, Milstein is said to have suppressed an embassy inquiry into the deaths of nine Palestinian Americans by Israeli forces and occupiers, which hindered accountability efforts by US Congress members. Although investigations showed no criminal charges were pursued, a letter was sent asserting active cooperation with Israeli authorities.
In addition, Milstein edited reports on the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid distribution, omitting warnings of chaos and potential mass casualty events, instead portraying the operations as successful.
These interventions reportedly led to a decline in the frequency of cables from the embassy's Palestinian affairs section and prompted some officials to seek unfiltered intelligence through unofficial channels. Ambassador Huckabee criticized the report, while the US State Department stated its commitment to advancing the administration's foreign policy goals.