News/Commentary

Canadian lawmakers draw world outrage after giving standing ovation to former Nazi during Zelensky visit

September 25, 2023 | | Print Article

Canadian lawmakers were the recipients of fierce criticism after they gave a standing ovation to a man who fought under the banner of Hitler during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, forcing the speaker of the House of Commons to apologize.

Jewish groups and social media users reacted with outrage over viral video footage showing members of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa enthusiastically cheering a 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant who fought against the Russians during World War II.

The problem is that Yaroslav Hunka was fighting on the side of the Third Reich as a member of a notorious Nazi unit that was “implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others,” according to the Canadian branch of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization.

“FSWC is appalled that Canada’s Parliament gave a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others,” the nonprofit organization named for the legendary Nazi hunter posted to X. “An apology and explanation is owed.”

“The fact that a veteran who served in a Nazi military unit was invited to and given a standing ovation in Parliament is shocking. At a time of rising antisemitism and Holocaust distortion, it is incredibly disturbing to see Canada’s Parliament rise to applaud an individual who was a member of a unit in the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military branch responsible for the murder of Jews and others and that was declared a criminal organization during the Nuremberg Trials. There should be no confusion that this unit was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable,” the FSWC said in a statement.

ADVERTISEMENT

“An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation,” the statement read.

House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota, who was responsible for the honoring of Hunka, issued an apology for his poor judgment in recognizing the “war hero” despite his controversial background.

“In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so,” he said in a statement. “I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my action.”

X users reacted to the video of the latest dark stain on PM Justin Trudeau’s left-wing dictatorship north of the U.S. border.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

“Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old immigrant from Ukraine, was introduced by Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons, as ‘a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians’ and ‘a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero,’ ignoring the horrific fact that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented,” the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center noted in its statement.

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE

Chris Donaldson
Latest posts by Chris Donaldson (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles