‘’I strongly reiterate that all Jewish institutions reject any contact with the National Front,’’ declared Francis Kalifat, head of CRIF, the representative umbrella group of Jewish institutions of France.

He was reacting last week to a meeting between a French Jewish association, the Confederation of Jews in France and of Friends of Israel (CJFAI) and two senior officials of Marine Le Pen’s extreme right party.

‘’ I condemn this meeting. It is shocking in moral terms. It has no impact and is only the umpteenth operation of the National Front to seduce the French Jews. There are sometimes a few marginalized people in disgrace to listen to them,’’ Kalifat said, stressing that CJDAI ''doesn’t have any credibility and representativiy within the community.’’

The meeting was organized by CJFAI ahead of the presidential election in April and May. The group explained that it wanted to listen to the candidates from all parties, including National Front, in order to make an opinion. Marine Le Pen is currenty leading in the polls.

The presidential candidate shocked the Jewish community when she suggested Jews to stop wearing the kippah as a way of fighting radical Islam, in an interview with Israel’s Channel 2. A few days later, in an interview with France 2 television, she said that if she is elected, people holding dual French and Israeli citizenship would have to give up one of their nationalities.

She said she would not allow French citizens to hold dual citizenship in non-European countries. "I am opposed to a policy allowing dual citizenship in non-European countries," she said, adding that ‘’Israel is not a European Union country.’’

If implemented, such decision would affect 150,000 French citizens who live in Israel.

Reacting to Le Pen’s kippah comments, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, head of the European Jewish Association (EJA), a body which represents thousands of Jews across Europe, urged all kippah wearing Jews ‘’to ignore this crass and barrel scrapping bit of electioneering.’’ ‘’This is the the absolute reason that people should be wary of the populist snake oil salespeople trying to con European voters,’’ he added.

In Israel, too, Marine Le Pen’s remarks led to strong comments. ‘’Why does she equates Jews wearing the kippah to pray in the synagogue and Muslims who use their religion for political purposes or to commit attacks ?,’’ asked a commentator on Kol Israel, the public radio.

For daily Israel Hayom, Marine Le Pen ‘’seeks to reassure the hard core of her electorate.’’

French-Israelis, many of whom wear the kippah, declare on Facebook: ‘’We were right to make our aliyah before the fascists come to power in France because they reserve us the worst.’’

A recent poll showed Marine Le Pen leading in the polls and advancing to the second round of balloting in May but still losing handily to Emmanuel Marcon a former minister in the Socialist government of Francois Hollande who has decided to run as independent.

The National Front was founded by Marine Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who routinely minimized the Holocaust.

The younger Le Pen has sought to move the party past her father’s controversies, but French Jewish leaders still consider the National Front anti-Semitic.

Here latest comments will certainly not improve her image in Israel where government officials are not allowed to meet with representatives of the extreme right party.

"Besides for the illegal aspects of this initiative, I would like to remind Mrs. Le Pen of the enormous debt Europe owes the Jewish nation," French-Jewish MP Meyer Habib said in response to Marine Le Pen’s remark. "I would like to remind her that Israel is a kind of 'life insurance' policy for Jews everywhere in the world,’’ he said. .

"I would like to remind Le Pen that her father praised the Gestapo and the German occupation, and was indicted for several provocative statements which were said about a Jewish singer. In these statements, her father used a play on words to mention the Nazi ovens.’’

"Even if you don't like it, we will never demand French-Israeli citizens choose between France and Israel," Habib added.

Besides Marine Le Pen, two other presidential candidates are ‘’problematic’’ for the Jewish community because of their anti-Israel statements: Jean-Luch Mélenchon, from the extreme-left party, who supported the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement and Benoit Hamon, the candidate of the Socialist Party who urged a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

On the other hand, Emmanuel Macron’s popularity is growing among French Jews, according to Richard Prasquier, chairman of the France branch of Keren Hayesod and a former president of CRIF.

From fourth and fifth place in the polls, Macron has swept past former Prime Minister Francois Fillon of the center-right Republicans party, as well as Benoit Hamon.