Glen Eira councillor censured
A Melbourne councillor has been censured for allegedly making an antisemitic remark.
Cr Oscar Lobo
Councillor Michael Lipshutz attended the meeting in December when the topic of security came up for debate. He told J-Wire: ” We were discussing the possible necessity of armed guards operating within the municipality to provide increased security when Councillor Lobo said that Melbourne’s Jewish community made themselves targets of attacks by ‘drawing attention to themselves’.” Glen Eira is home to a large Jewish community.
Cr Michael Lipshutz
Glen Eira has nine councillors of whom three are Jewish.
The Council’s mayor Neil Pilling put a motion to council this week which “unreservedly condemns” Cr Lobo’s comments.
Michael Lipshutz added: “This is not the first time he has made anti-Jewish statements. All we wanted him to do was apologise…but that hasn’t happened. Once when standing for mayor he was recorded as saying it was the Jews who were blocking him. He repeatedly refers to ‘The Jews”.”
Cr Lobo told media this morning he was sorry for comments adding there was “no need” to apologise at a council meeting. He was not present at the meeting.
Melbourne’s The Leader reported that Councillor Lobo denied the comments were anti-semitic saying: “I did not intend to incite any community but said: ‘(having guns at Jewish events) was dangerous and they should not draw attention to themselves.”
Cr Lobo is reported in The Leader as saying he would attend a Jewish ‘familiarisation day’ on April 7 by visiting the Jewish Museum of Australia in St Kilda, the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Elsternwick and touring a local synagogue.
This is an open event organised by The Jewish Community Council of Victoria.
CEO David Marlow told J-Wire: “We invite State politicians and municipal councillors on the Jewish familiarisation tour. The participants will be addressed by our president, by Zionism Victoria and other Jewish leaders as well as experiencing a model Shabbat lunch at the Beth Weizmann community centre.”
He added: “Councillor Lobo was the first to accept.”
Councillor Lobo was one of two City of Glen Eira Councillors to vote against J-AIR having our transmission system installed at the town hall building when it was voted on last year. He continually fails to see the value the Jewish community brings to this region and I only hope he has a serious candidate stand against him at the next election.