Jeff Landry Blasts Charles Boustany For Alleged Ties To Anti-Israel Group [Exclusive]

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL) — Republican Congressman Jeff Landry took a shot at his political opponent, Republican Congressman Charles Boustany, Tuesday evening, citing the endorsement of Boustany by what some Jewish leaders call an anti-Israel group.

On the “Afternoon Drive Home with Jeremy Lawrence,” Landry and Lawrence were discussing President Barack Obama’s perceived unwillingness to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Prime Minister requested a meeting with Obama to be held during a future visit to the United States, but a scheduling conflict prevented him from accepting the invitation, according to the White House.

Landry expressed disappointment that Obama would not meet with “one of our most strategic allies, whose country means so much to our national security interests from a global perspective.”

Landry then went on to discuss organizations in Washington, D.C., in particular a political action committee called JStreet, that he says are “anti-Israeli.”

“Guess who the only Republican that [JStreet has] endorsed is?” Landry asked. “That would be the Congressman from Lafayette, Charles Boustany.”

JStreet has endorsed Boustany for Louisiana congressional seat, but his campaign manager, John Porter, said such statements from Landry are a sign of desperation from a candidate who has been trailing in recent polls.

“Desperate candidates say desperate things,” Porter said in a prepared release. “The facts on this issue are clear and very straightforward: Congressman Boustany has no ties whatsoever to any anti-Israel group. Congressman Boustany is a proud supporter of Israel.”

Landry and Boustany have been embroiled in a bitter campaign for Louisiana’s newly redistricted 3rd Congressional district. Following the 2010 census, the state lost a U.S. House seat, forcing the merging of Landry’s and Boustany’s districts.

Click PLAY below to listen to the entire segment.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.