US President Donald Trump has directed officials to reduce criticism of Israel and other strategic countries in the upcoming annual human rights report, according to The Washington Post. Drafts of the report show significantly less scrutiny of Israel, El Salvador, and Russia compared to previous years. The section on Israel has been notably shortened and omits references to sensitive topics such as the trial of the Israeli Prime Minister and government actions affecting Palestinians. The US State Department's human rights reports have long been regarded as comprehensive and authoritative sources on global human rights conditions.