A low blow from Lobo

A GLEN Eira councillor has been condemned for asserting in a council meeting that Melbourne Jews create their own security problems because they “draw attention to themselves”.

During a debate on community security earlier this month, Oscar Lobo shocked other councillors with his remark about Jews that “maybe people in that community wouldn’t have to worry about being attacked if they didn’t draw attention to themselves”.

Councillor Jamie Hyams asked him to clarify his remarks, to which, according to Hyams, Lobo retorted that Jews were attacked because they “isolated” themselves.

Hyams moved a point of order that Lobo’s comments were “improper” and asked Mayor Neil Pilling to call on Lobo to retract his remarks, which Lobo did, but he has stopped short of apologising.

Lobo has been on Glen Eira Council since 2009.

Hyams told The AJN: “When you blame the Jewish people for attacks on them, it is absolutely a case of anti-Semitism, especially when you make comments about them drawing attention to themselves … and talk about them isolating themselves.

“I think Councillor Lobo’s comments were absolutely disgusting and reprehensible. He should seriously consider if he’s a fit and proper person to be a councillor.

“He should visit the Holocaust Museum in Elsternwick and see if he thinks the people who are commemorated there brought what happened on themselves by isolating themselves,” he said.

Speaking to The AJN, Pilling described Lobo’s conduct at the council meeting as “highly inappropriate in many areas and on many issues, and those comments were appalling”.

Councillor Michael Lipshutz, a former Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) president and B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission chair, said: “It is the height of anti-Semitism, of racism, to say the Jewish community is responsible for attacks on it.”

Councillor and former Glen Eira mayor Margaret Esakoff said: “It is very disappointing to see anti-Semitism in our community and especially from our elected representatives. Our residents and ratepayers deserve better.”

As someone who has known Lobo for some time, JCCV president Jennifer Huppert said she was “very disappointed” in his comments and would contact him to discuss it. “There’s no doubt that his comments can be construed as being anti-Semitic.”

Lobo had not responded to The AJN for a comment at the time of going to press.

PETER KOHN