![Adam Bandt says the attorney-general made defamatory comments about him over Palestine protests. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) Adam Bandt says the attorney-general made defamatory comments about him over Palestine protests. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/d484cb3f-70f8-4948-aab1-1533c30bd795.jpg/r0_0_800_600_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Adam Bandt has threatened to sue Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus over allegations defamatory comments were made towards the Greens leader.
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It comes after fiery debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday when Labor and the coalition united in condemnation against the Greens for stoking tensions by supporting pro-Palestinian protesters, after some electorate offices were vandalised or barricaded by demonstrators.
Mr Bandt said the attorney-general made defamatory comments about him relating to the protests in a media interview following Question Time.
"My lawyers have written to the Attorney-General regarding what I consider to be defamatory statements he made about me and the Greens yesterday," he said in a statement on Thursday.
"I think that the first law officer of this country should not make utterly unfounded statements and spread misinformation. No politician should do that.
"I would prefer not to have to pursue these matters legally, and I hope the Attorney will respond in a proper way."
During debate in parliament, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Greens had been spreading misinformation about the conflict in the Middle East.
"It is unacceptable that misinformation has been consciously and deliberately spread by some Green senators and MPs who have engaged in this demonstration outside offices and online," Mr Albanese said.
"As political leaders, we have a responsibility to lower temperature, not to fuel division."
It comes as Liberal MP Julian Leeser on Thursday spoke about rising levels of anti-Semitism in Australia following the October 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas, which killed 1200 people and resulted in 200 people being taken hostage.
Israel's counter-offensive has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians and injured more than 80,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Mr Leeser said the government had not done enough to combat the issue.
"I am so sick and tired of this government, the Human Rights Commission, universities and other bodies in Australia, being unable to say anti-Semitism without saying Islamophobia in the same breath, to fail to singularly identify and call out the particularity of anti-Semitism," he said.
"Jewish Australians are so sick and tired of the moral equivalence, particularly because so many Jewish Australians are always at the forefront pushing back against the bigotry against other groups."
Australian Associated Press