Speaker of Canadian parliament resigns after applauding ex-Nazi soldier
98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, a former volunteer fighter in a Waffen SS unit, was applauded as a "hero" in the Canadian parliament.
The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons resigned on Tuesday following an uproar over a former Nazi soldier received a standing ovation on parliament last week.
Yaroslav Hunka, 98, was introduced in the House of Commons lower chamber by Speaker, Anthony Rota, who called him a “Ukrainian hero.”
Hunka received standing ovations by parliament members due to his role in fighting for Ukrainian independence against Russia. But the “First Ukrainian Division” which Hunka was part of was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division and fell under command of Nazi Germany.
“No one in this House is above any of us. Therefore I must step down as your speaker. I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognising an individual in the House during the joint address to Parliament of President Zelensky,” said Anthony Rota, the Speaker of House of Commons lower chamber.
“That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including to the Jewish community in Canada and around the world in addition to Nazi survivors in Poland among other nations. I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Rota added.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lambasted the incident on Monday after Hunka’s past was exposed, saying: “This is something that is deeply embarrassing to the parliament of Canada and by extension, to all Canadians, I think particularly of Jewish MPs and all members of the Jewish community across the country who are celebrating, commemorating Yom Kippur today.”
“I think it’s going to be really important that all of us push back against Russian propaganda, Russian disinformation, and continue our steadfast and unequivocal support for Ukraine as we did last week with announcing further measures to stand with Ukraine in Russia’s illegal war against it.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
