Thorpe made the inflammatory remark at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne on the weekend.

Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said Thorpe’s comments were “clearly unacceptable”.

“I think if fighting can stop in the Middle East, we need to make sure that we are turning the temperature down here at home,” Rishworth told Today.

“And of course, people want to see the end of the violence and they don’t want to see tensions brought here into Australia.”

She said Australians had the right to protest but should not do so in ways that might inflame “hatred and violence”.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke made similar comments, including saying that Australians should be able to “lower the temperature”.

“There are two things that Australians want, they’ve wanted the killing to stop and they’ve wanted to make sure that the conflict’s not brought here.

“We have an opportunity now where we may well be seeing both.”