Huckabee Aide Allegedly Suppressed Reports On U.S. Citizens’ Murders
Top aide to Mike Huckabee allegedly downplayed U.S. citizens’ murders in West Bank, according to The New York Times.
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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 by The New York Times. David Milstein, the stepson of Fox News host Mark Levin, is accused of manipulating reports from embassy staff to downplay Israeli settler attacks and portray Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in a positive light.
Suppression Of Detailed Report On Murders
Following the murder of 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siyam in the West Bank in February, 30 members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding updates on the investigation into the string of killings. The embassy completed a report by March, which found that Israeli investigations had gone nowhere, some cases were closed, and no one had been charged. However, Milstein allegedly pushed to send a letter in response to Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen rather than the more detailed report.
Alleged Chilling Effect On Embassy Staff
The report also alleges that Milstein had a chilling effect on embassy staffers, with some expressing concern about his relationship with Levin, a fervent ally of Netanyahu. He is accused of downplaying the expansion of West Bank settlements, despite President Donald Trump’s previous opposition to the Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Additionally, Milstein is said to have dismissed mass casualties amid the delivery of food and aid to Palestinians.
Huckabee’s Response To Allegations
The Daily Caller reached out to the embassy, which referred the Caller to an X post from Huckabee. Huckabee responded by refuting the allegations, calling the report a farce and questioning the New York Times’ credibility. He also mentioned a previous incident where he defended Milstein after a Politico article accused him of soliciting cash gifts from Israelis for his wedding.
Wedding Invitation Controversy
Earlier in September, Milstein distributed a Paperless Post wedding invitation soliciting monetary gifts from Israelis. Although he later removed QR codes and informed recipients of an unintended distribution, an unnamed intelligence official warned that soliciting cash gifts from foreign sources while holding high-level clearance could pose a national security risk.
Source: Daily Caller
