US Envoy's Aide Accused of Altering Reports on Israeli Policy

A New York Times investigation revealed that Mike Huckaby, an advisor to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, allegedly altered and rewrote embassy documents destined for Washington to present Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies in a more favorable light. The investigation, based on interviews with 15 U.S. officials and internal documents, primarily concerns Israel's West Bank policies, including settlement approvals and settler violence against Palestinians.

One instance cited involved the Israeli cabinet's quiet approval of dozens of new settlements in late March. U.S. Embassy staff in Jerusalem viewed this as a potential disregard for a red line set by President Trump regarding the non-annexation of the West Bank and drafted an urgent report. However, this report was reportedly held back by David Millstein, a senior aide to Huckaby, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

Since April 2025, Millstein has allegedly obstructed or significantly rewritten embassy reports on Israeli activities to positively portray the Netanyahu government, according to fifteen individuals who work with or interact with him. This included suppressing reports detailing the Israeli government's inaction against escalating settler violence against Palestinians, with the embassy instead sending an update praising Israel for "suppressing" such violence.

In another case, Millstein reportedly blocked a detailed report requested by members of Congress concerning the deaths of nine American-citizen Palestinians killed by settlers and security forces, hindering lawmakers' access to information. Millstein also allegedly slowed down communications from the embassy's Palestinian Affairs section, reducing updates from several per week to a few per month, causing staff to refrain from filing reports for fear of obstruction.

Sources suggested Millstein's actions may have prevented a stronger reaction from the Trump administration, which opposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank. It remains unclear how aware Ambassador Huckaby is of Millstein's actions, though some officials stated Millstein sometimes acted independently, while others indicated Huckaby coordinated with Millstein to alter information, though he did intervene in some instances where he felt Millstein went too far. Former officials and appointees expressed concern that Millstein's actions could harm traditional diplomacy and potentially contradict stated U.S. policies.