By Canadian Press

Jewish group demands apology after MPs honoured man who fought for Nazis

Sep 24, 2023 | 12:32 PM

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.

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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.

The Canadian Press