Ukrainian Nazi collaborator honoured in Parliament; Rota apologizes

Canadian Jewish groups are distressed that a 98-year-old World War II veteran who was a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator was honoured in the House of Commons during Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky’s visit to Ottawa Friday.

The Jewish newspaper The Forward revealed that Yaroslav Hunka “fought in a Third Reich military formation accused of war crimes.”

The story added that “The Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota — who had compared Zelenskyy to Winston Churchill — recognized a “veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today even at his age of 98.”

An Associated Press caption with a picture of Hunka pointed out that he was part of the First Ukrainian Division, “another name for the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS.”

The Suburban contacted The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and B’nai Brith Canada Sunday morning for a reaction.

CIJA’s statement says “we are deeply troubled and disturbed that a Ukrainian veteran of the infamous 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS – which actively participated in the genocide of Jews – was celebrated with a standing ovation in the Canadian Parliament. Canada’s Jewish community stands firmly with Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression.

“But we can’t stay silent when crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust are whitewashed.”

B’nai Brith Canada expressed shock at the honouring of Hunka. Their statement pointed out that “Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany, Canada and the free world’s nemesis, and military opponent during World War II. The Ukrainian ultra-nationalist ideologues who volunteered to create the SS-Galician division in 1943 dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing.

“The 14th Waffen SS carried out numerous atrocities against civilians in the Ukraine and fought alongside regular Nazi German armed forces in the battle of Brody. The SS was declared a criminal organization by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. Members of this unit swore fealty to the Fuhrer and the perverted racial ideology of the Nazis.”

B’nai Brith CEO Michael Mostyn said “we cannot allow the whitewashing of history.

“It is beyond outrageous that Parliament has honoured a former member of a Nazi unit in this way. Canadian soldiers fought and died to free the world from the evils of Nazi brutality. We understand an apology is forthcoming. We expect a meaningful apology. Parliament owes an apology to all Canadians for this outrage, and a detailed explanation as to how this could possibly have taken place at the centre of Canadian democracy.”

The expected apology came later Sunday from Speaker Rota, who in a statement took sole responsibility for introducing Hunka.

“I [became] aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so,” he wrote. “I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or my remarks before I delivered them. This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding and having been brought to my attention. I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my actions.” Many commentators expressed skepticism on social media that Hunka was not vetted before his appearance in the Commons.