I don't excuse his remark. The French Jews have a legit concern. But there are different levels of racism. David Duke was the KKK - pretty extreme. I don't know where Le Pen's head is at. Are you aware of any other anti-semitism by Le Pen?How about his proposal to ban yarmulkas as well as Muslim headscarves in the schools? Mild anti-semitism to be sure, but unless he's also banning crosses on necklaces and the like, definitely a sign of a bias towards Jews.
When campaigning, Duke also restricted himself to such mild examples of bias.
-Eric