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. (RELATED: American Citizen, Florida Resident Killed By Israeli Settlers In West Bank)

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.

Huckabee said he provided The New York Times with a statement in response to the allegations. He later posted the statement in full on X:

The elements of the story the New York Times is trying to assemble are so lacking in fact that it ranks up with other Times farcical endeavors like the embarrassing ‘dog rape’ story, or the totally debunked story about a small boy being shot in the face by IDF in Gaza (when in fact, the little boy was not only alive but had been evacuated out of Gaza with his mother by Embassy Jerusalem to a safe location in another country to keep him from being murdered by Hamas). I personally and categorically refute the elements of your proposed ‘story’ and I’m surprised that you expect to be taken seriously with such nonsense without even one named source. You surely can do better. You should consult your attorneys as to whether publishing such drivel could subject the Times to litigation for defamation.

Earlier in September, Huckabee came to Milstein’s defense after a Politico article accused the senior advisor of soliciting cash gifts from Israelis to celebrate his wedding. (RELATED: Mike Huckabee Goes On 1,000-Word Rant After Politico Accuses Top Advisor Of Soliciting Cash Gifts From Israelis)

According to a report by Politico Playbook, Milstein distributed a Paperless Post wedding invitation on Sept. 16 soliciting “monetary wedding gift[s]” in “U.S. dollars or shekels.” Although he later removed the QR codes and informed recipients that the invitation had been sent to a larger distribution list than intended, an unnamed intelligence official cited by Politico warned that soliciting cash gifts from foreign sources while holding high-level clearance could pose a risk to national security.