In recent months, a senior U.S. diplomat stationed at the American Embassy in Jerusalem has been reported to have altered and suppressed official communications critical of the Israeli government’s policies, particularly regarding the West Bank. David Milstein, a top aide to Ambassador Mike Huckabee, has been identified by multiple current and former U.S. officials as repeatedly intervening in embassy reporting to present Israel’s right-wing government in a more favorable light.

Since assuming his post in April 2025, Mr. Milstein, 36, has exercised significant control over the flow of information from the embassy to Washington. Several U.S. diplomats and government officials familiar with the process said staffers became reluctant to file reports on sensitive issues out of concern that their assessments would be blocked or heavily revised. One official noted a steep decline in cables from the Palestinian affairs section, dropping from several a week to only a few monthly.

Among the topics affected is the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank—a highly contentious issue internationally. In late March, Israel approved the largest number of settlements in the territory at one time, a move viewed by some embassy staff as potentially crossing a red line established by President Donald Trump, who opposed formal annexation of the West Bank. Despite this, reports critical of settlement expansions or the Israeli government’s handling of settler violence were often altered or withheld. For instance, while military commanders warned that increasing settler violence risked sparking further Palestinian uprisings, Mr. Milstein’s versions emphasized Israel’s intensified crackdown on such violence, portraying the government’s response as unprecedented and effective.

The suppression extended to inquiries about the killings of Palestinian Americans by Israeli settlers and security forces. In February, after the death of 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siyam during a confrontation in the West Bank, a group of 30 members of Congress, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen, requested information from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Embassy staff drafted a detailed report indicating slow progress and lack of accountability in the investigations, but Mr. Milstein blocked its release and advocated for a more positive narrative that Israel was properly addressing these cases. A subsequent State Department letter reiterated ongoing cooperation with Israeli authorities but provided limited detail, leaving some lawmakers like Van Hollen unconvinced about the prospects for justice.

Officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity described Mr. Milstein’s actions as surpassing those of previous embassy aides in terms of shaping or filtering embassy communications. Some expressed concern that his efforts may distort the information available to U.S. policymakers and potentially undermine the president’s stated policies. In Washington, this has led to frustration among some senior officials, though it remains unclear whether these interventions have influenced broader administration decisions regarding Israel and the West Bank.

Ambassador Huckabee, known for his support of Israeli settlement efforts while condemning isolated acts of settler violence, declined to comment on specific examples but publicly expressed full confidence in Mr. Milstein’s integrity. Both men have faced criticism for their handling of these issues, and officials noted that while Mr. Huckabee typically must approve diplomatic cables, Mr. Milstein sometimes acted independently. The relationship between Mr. Milstein and his stepfather, conservative radio host Mark Levin—a close ally of both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—has also drawn attention within embassy and Washington circles.

The State Department affirmed its commitment to advancing the administration’s agenda but did not directly address the alteration or suppression of reports. The ongoing debates underscore the complex dynamics at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem amid rising tensions in the West Bank and deep divisions over the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations.