Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) expressed puzzlement at President Donald Trump’s proposal that “it should be mandatory” that certain countries normalize relations with Israel as part of ending the Iran war.

On Monday, the president fired off a lengthy Truth Social post, saying he had spoken with leaders of several countries and stipulated that any deal to end the Iran war should require them to sign the Abraham Accords:

[I]t should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords. Those Countries discussed are Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates (already a Member!), Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain (already a Member!). It may be possible that one or two have a reason for not doing so, and that will be accepted, but most should be ready, willing, and able to make this Settlement with Iran a far more Historic Event than it would, otherwise, be.

In 2020, Trump brokered the Abraham Accords, which have been signed by Israel, Bahrain, the U.A.E., Morocco, and Sudan. Under the arrangement, Israel suspended plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank in exchange for the normalization of relations with other signatories.

Auchincloss appeared on CNN on Monday, where Boris Sanchez pointed to Trump’s comments.

“I wonder when President Trump says that the Middle East countries that sign on to this deal should mandatorily be part of the Abraham Accords, that set of treaties that normalizes relations with Israel, do you think that would be a positive step?” Sanchez asked. Is it actually realistic, or is it a distraction?”

A confused Auchincloss responded:

I support the Abraham Accords. I think the Abraham Accords were a credible achievement of the first Trump administration. And I don’t know what that sentence means, though.

The challenge with the Abraham Accords expansion is not that these countries share an aversion to Iran. They always have. The challenge with the Abraham Accords has been getting Saudi Arabia on board, given challenges in the West Bank and ongoing attacks against Israel and its right to defend itself.

So, the Abraham Accords expansion runs through resolving West Bank issues, not on trying to foment further aversion to Iran, which has always been there.

Watch above via CNN.

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