The Speaker of the Canadian House of Representatives, Anthony Rota, apologized for the ovation given by MPs to Ukrainian Yaroslav Hunka, whom he called a “hero” despite having fought alongside Nazis during World War II. The controversial moment came Friday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech in Parliament, when Rota said Hunka was considered a “Ukrainian and Canadian hero” and thanked him “for all his services.” “I subsequently became aware of other information that makes me regret my decision to honor Hunka. I would like to clarify that no one, including my parliamentary colleagues and the Ukrainian delegation, was aware of my intention or of my comments before I made them”, ” he said. Rota in an attempt to exonerate the rest of the members of the House. In this sense, he expressed his “sincere apologies to the Jewish communities in Canada and around the world ” Thus, he declared that he accepted “full responsibility” for his actions. Hunka, 98, was part of the 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Division, also known as “Galitzia”, ​​a unit of volunteers who were under the command of the elite Schutzstaffel combat corps and whose objective was to fight against the Soviet Union. Canadian authorities indicated in a press release that the decision to invite him to Parliament and to pay tribute to him had been taken only by Rota. “The Speaker of the House apologized and accepted full responsibility for issuing the invitation and taking notice of it before Parliament. It was the right thing to do,” a spokesperson said. word from the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Government House spokesperson Karina Gould also said the government was not aware of Hunka’s presence at the event. “I am deeply concerned about what happened. I urge that MPs avoid politicizing this incident,” she said, according to CBC television news. CRITICISM OF JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS Shortly after the ovation, several Jewish advocacy organizations condemned the tribute, which was accompanied by cheers and applause. Zelensky himself raised his fist in recognition while Hunka saluted from the stands. The Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Studies Center issued a statement Sunday saying the division “was responsible for the massacre of innocent civilians with an unimaginable level of brutality and viciousness.” “An apology is owed to all Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans who fought against the Nazis, and an explanation must be given as to how this individual entered the Canadian Parliament and received the recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation,” the statement said. the text understands. For his part, the executive director of B’nai Brith Canada, Michael Mostyn, called what happened “beyond scandalous” and declared that the Ukrainian “ultranationalist ideologues” who volunteered for this division ” dreamed of an ethnically homogeneous Ukrainian state and supported the idea of ​​ethnic cleansing. “We understand that an apology is expected. We expect a meaningful apology. Parliament owes all Canadians an apology for this outrage and a detailed explanation of how this could have happened,” he said. . The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which represents Jewish federations across the country, expressed concern. “Canada’s Jewish community strongly supports Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression, but we cannot remain silent while the crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust are whitewashed,” the organization said in a statement. message broadcast via his X account, formerly known as Twitter. . A Conservative Party spokesperson stressed that the party was unaware of Hunka’s history, as issues surrounding the divide continue to spark controversy. In 2021, a statue of Ukrainian military leader Roman Shukhevich and a monument to division fighters in the Canadian city of Edmonton were vandalized and graffitied. The decision to accept the arrival of Ukrainian migrants who served in the 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Division after the war was controversial and led Jewish groups to call for a ban on their entry into Canada.