The Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons apologizes for honoring a veteran who fought for the Nazis.
WASHINGTON – The speaker of Canada‘s House
On Sunday, the House of Commons apologized for commending an individual during a parliamentary meeting. who served in a Nazi unit during World War Two.
Two days earlier, Speaker
Anthony Rota acknowledged 98-year old Yaroslav Hunka as a “hero of Ukraine” during a session of the Canadian Parliament. According to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization that called for an apology, Mr. Hunka served in World War II as a member of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.
In a statement, Mr. Rota acknowledged responsibility for what was described as an unintentional mistake and referred to the project as “completely my own.”
“I have since become aware of additional information that has led me to regret my decision,” he stated, expressing his sincere apologies to Jewish communities.
The recognition
This occurred after a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine. who thanked Canada
for aiding in their nation’s conflict with Russia.
who was
After Mr. Zelenskiy spoke, Mr. Rota recognized Mr. Hunka. who was seated in the gallery, praising him for fighting for Ukrainian independence against the Russians. Mr. Hunka received two standing ovations from those gathered.
a member of Congress perpetuating such dangerous and harmful stereotypes.”
In the midst of increasing anti-Semitism and misrepresentation of the Holocaust, it is highly concerning to witness a Congress member perpetuating damaging and hazardous stereotypes. Canada
The members of Parliament stood and clapped for one person. who
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a statement on Sunday, demanding an apology for being part of the Waffen-SS, a Nazi military group known for their role in the killing of Jews and other individuals.
A clarification is needed regarding the means by which this person gained access to the esteemed chambers of the Canadian Parliament and was granted admission. recognition from the Speaker of the House
The group also included a standing ovation.
the United States, Anatoly Antonov, as saying
According to Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, as reported by Russia’s state news agency RIA. Canada
According to Oleg Stepanov, the embassy plans to send a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a note to the Canadian foreign ministry on Monday.
According to RIA, Mr. Stepanov stated that we will request clarification from the Canadian government.
In February 2022, Russia initiated a large-scale attack on Ukraine, claiming that the objective of the “special military operation” was to remove any Nazi influence and disarm its neighboring country.
According to Kyiv and its Western allies, the ongoing aggression has resulted in thousands of deaths and millions of displacements, and is considered an unprovoked seizure of land. The United States has stated that Moscow’s reasoning for the war is false and simply an attempt by the Kremlin to sway global public opinion.
According to Mr. Rota’s statement, neither his fellow parliamentarians nor the Ukrainian delegation were informed of his intentions or comments beforehand.
Reuters was unable to obtain a statement from Mr. Hunka.
