Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has described a recent attempt to gag him in Parliament as 'extraordinary,' reflecting on how an unprecedented number of Opposition politicians have approached him to express their apologies following the incident.

This occurred while he was responding to a question regarding antisemitism last week, a matter of personal significance to him as a Jewish Australian, when Liberal MP Michael Sukkar moved a motion to silence him.

Speaking with ABC Radio National, Dreyfus elaborated that he had yet to receive an apology from Sukkar directly, highlighting the rarity of such a gag motion targeting an Attorney-General.

'When I'm talking about a subject as serious as this and a subject as personal and as close to me as this was, was wrong,' Dreyfus remarked, suggesting an understanding among his colleagues in the Opposition about the gravity of the situation, although he noted that not all have shown the 'courage' to apologize.

Opposition member Michael Sukkar responded to the incident, asserting that it was Dreyfus who should apologize for implying that the Opposition was politicizing the issue of antisemitism, which he characterized as an 'outrageous smear.' Sukkar maintained that the Coalition has consistently supported Jewish Australians since the escalation of violence in Israel and Gaza on October 7.

In discussions about balancing his professional responsibilities as Attorney-General with his identity as a Jewish individual, Dreyfus expressed his hope of managing this dual role effectively.

'It is very personal, but so it is for every member of the Jewish community,' he stated, reinforcing the sentiment that many Australians stand in solidarity with the Jewish community against antisemitism and wish to affirm a commitment to combating such prejudice.