Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recognize Yaroslav Hunka, who was in attendance and fought with the First Ukrainian Division in World War II before later immigrating to Canada, in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
OTTAWA – Several Jewish advocacy organizations are condemning members of Parliament for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Ottawa on Friday, MPs honoured 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka in the House of Commons.
Hunka was invited by Speaker Anthony Rota, who introduced him as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.
That division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.
Advocacy group Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a statement today saying it’s deeply disturbed that Hunka was invited and says an apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor.
They and other groups are also calling for an explanation for why the invite was extended in the first place.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2023.
