(NewsNation) — U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Rep. Ro Khanna's account of being detained in the West Bank was exaggerated and that the California Democrat deliberately entered a restricted military zone without coordinating with U.S. or Israeli officials.

Khanna said armed settlers and Israeli soldiers stopped his van for more than an hour on July 8 near Khirbet Zanuta, an abandoned Palestinian village in the southern West Bank, and that he was released only after his team contacted the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

 Ro Khanna says he was detained by armed Israeli settlers in West Bank 

Huckabee disputed that characterization while speaking on NewsNation's "On Balance," saying Khanna's team never informed the embassy or Israeli authorities of the trip in advance.

"He did not let us know he was coming," Huckabee said. "Most of the time, a member of Congress, if they're coming to the country, they coordinate with us."

The ambassador said Khanna traveled at the invitation of a pro-Palestinian activist into Area C, Israeli-controlled territory that includes a civilian military zone off-limits without prior clearance.

"It's like I can't go to a U.S. air base, just walk in and say, 'hey, I'd like to look around,'" Huckabee said. "The same thing."

 Ro Khanna accuses IDF of 'lying' about West Bank incident that led to detainment 

Huckabee said the armed individuals who stopped Khanna's van were members of a civilian patrol who questioned the group before recognizing the accompanying activist. He said Khanna never identified himself as a congressman until later in the encounter.

"The whole thing was a stunt, and it was unfortunate," Huckabee said.

Khanna has rejected that account. He told NBC News' "Meet the Press" that "the IDF is lying" about the circumstances and has called for the arrest of the settlers who surrounded his van.

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