An association for the defense of the Jewish community in Canada is demanding an apology from the authorities in Ottawa after a Ukrainian who fought alongside the Nazis during the Second World War was honored in Parliament during the visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky, writes AFP , quoted by Agerpres.
Volodymyr ZelenskyPhoto: Ukraine Presidency / Zuma Press / Profimedia
The Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) said in a statement on Sunday that it is “deeply concerned that the Canadian Parliament has expressed its respect for a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit in during the Second World War”.
On Friday, on the occasion of the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the capital of Canada, the Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota greeted Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant, in the stands.
“He is a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero and we thank him for his service,” he said in the Chamber, garnering a warm ovation from members of Parliament.
These claims “ignore the 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 FSWC denounced.
On Sunday, the Speaker of the House – a liberal MP – apologized for presenting and honoring Hunka two days earlier.
“On Friday (…) after the speech of the President of Ukraine, I greeted a person in the gallery and then I learned new information that makes me regret that I did this,” said Anthony Rota, in a written statement.
“I want to apologize especially to the Jewish communities in Canada and around the world,” he continued, adding that “I am solely responsible for this initiative.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office denied any involvement in this affair, reiterating its independence from that of the Speaker of the House.
“Neither the prime minister’s office nor the Ukrainian delegation was informed in advance of the invitation or gratitude,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement sent Sunday evening on X (formerly Twitter) by a Justin Trudeau press secretary.
But that did not prevent the leader of the official opposition Pierre Poilievre, in front of Justin Trudeau’s voting intentions, to denounce a “serious error of judgment”.
“His protocol office is responsible for organizing and approving all guests and programs for state visits of this type,” the conservative leader reacted.
