Following Middle East trip, U.S. Sen. Casey seeking stronger ties with Israel

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, recently returned from a trip to the Middle East, is calling for more to be done to combat terrorism. 

During his tour, Casey said he looked into how some countries continue to fund terrorists.

“We’ve got to push these countries to make institutional changes that will be enduring,” he said. “Not just short-term efforts but the institutional changes that  they can put in place over time.”

Casey said that , after speaking to people in the Middle East, the next step is a formal debate on the ongoing efforts to quell terrorism.

“We owe it to them to have a real debate on ISIS, the strategy against ISIS and counterterrorism. Part of that is having a real debate on the use of force,” he said.

The senator added that, during his trip to Israel, he discussed how important a memorandum of understanding is to show how to strengthen U.S. cooperation with Israel as it confronts security issues on almost a daily basis.