REPORT: Top Huckabee Aide Downplayed Murders Of American Citizens To Make Israel Look Better

A top aide to U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee allegedly suppressed a detailed embassy report into the killings of nine Americans in the West Bank, according to a report Thursday.

David Milstein, the stepson of Fox News host Mark Levin, frequently suppressed or manipulated reports from staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem to downplay Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank and portray Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in a positive light, The New York Times reported. He also allegedly intervened to suppress a “detailed” report by embassy staffers on the murders of nine U.S. citizens by Israeli settlers and security forces as members of Congress pushed for more information and accountability, according to The New York Times.

After a ninth American, 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siyam, was shot dead in the West Bank while trying to prevent settlers from stealing his livestock in February, 30 members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding updates on investigations into the string of killings. The embassy completed a report by March that found the Israeli investigations had gone nowhere, some cases were closed, and no one had been charged. However, Milstein allegedly pushed to send a letter back in response to Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, rather than sending the more detailed report, according to the outlet.

The report also alleges that Milstein has had a chilling effect on embassy staffers, with some staffers expressing concern about his relationship with Levin, a fervent ally of Netanyahu; downplayed the expansion of West Bank settlements, even though President Donald Trump has previously expressed opposition to the Israeli annexation of the West Bank; and dismissed mass casualties amid the delivery of food and aid to Palestinians.

The Daily Caller reached out to the embassy, which referred the Caller to an X post from Huckabee.

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