Macron, a centrist, will face Marine Le Pen, head of the extreme-right National Rally, in a runoff on April 22.

“For a long time we have been against slaughter without stunning, which is already practiced in several countries. It is a question of animal suffering. Of course, the import of meat can be done in a way that satisfies religious considerations,” Marine Le Pen told in a pre-election interview on French-Israel’s i24 news channel.

“I want a France that resolutely fights against Islamist separatism, but that through secularism allows everyone to believe or not to believe, to practice their religion. And not a France that prevents Muslims or Jews from eating as prescribed by their religion,” declared Emmanuel Macronn following the first round of presidential election on Sunday that saw the outgoing president receiving the largest share of votes. He will face Marine Le Pen, head of the extreme-right National Rally in a runoff on April 22.

They respectively collect 27.84% and 23.15%, according to the final results of the Ministry of the Interior.

The two already squared off in 2017, when Macron handily defeated Le Pen. This year’s election appears likely to be far more competitive, with Le Pen polling within points of Macron, a centrist.

When Macron alluded in his victory speech to his desire to defend freedom of religion in the country, he was denouncing Marine Le Pen who has campaigned against ritual slaughter. Once elected, she that ritual slaughter would be banned in France but not meat imports.

“For a long time we have been against slaughter without stunning, which is already practiced in several countries. It is a question of animal suffering. Of course, the import of meat can be done in a way that satisfies religious considerations,” she said in a pre-election interview on French-Israel’s i24 news channel.

She added: “There is no reason for the Jewish community to have any particular concerns,” deploring the “harsh” and “fear-inducing” remarks of the Jewish Consistory of Paris on this subject.

Shechita, the Jewish ritual slaughter, requires that butchers swiftly slaughter the animal by slitting its throat and draining the blood. The Jewish practice ’’is “the most humane method of slaughter as it ensures the welfare of the animal not only at the time of slaughter, but also concerns itself with “the conditions in which animals are raised before their slaughter,” Jewish leaders say.

Faced with the rise of Islamism in France, Marine Le Pen defended herself as the one who is “likely to protect most effectively the French of the Jewish faith”, victims of anti-Semitic acts “more and more numerous”.

“I have been the victim of a form of caricature for decades. I want Jews to be able to stay in France,” she said.

Her party, the National Rally, was originally founded by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, a convicted Holocaust denier, under the name National Front.

Eric Zemmour, another extreme right canidate, who is Jewish and made controversial statements on sensitive issues for he Jewish communityu, received only 7% of the vote in the first round. Under the French electoral system, the top two vote-getters square off in a runoff election.