A prominent Canadian legislator is expressing remorse to Jewish communities worldwide following a regrettable incident that occurred during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This incident involved lawmakers honoring a veteran who has faced accusations of affiliation with a Nazi division during World War II.

Canadian Jewish organizations had called for an apology after it was revealed that members of Parliament from various political parties had accorded a standing ovation to a 98-year-old veteran on Friday, shortly after President Zelenskyy’s address to the Canadian House of Commons.

Yaroslav Hunka, introduced by House Speaker Anthony Rota as a Canadian-Ukrainian war hero from his political constituency, stood and appeared to salute from the public gallery during this recognition, Politico has reported.

“We have here in the chamber today a Ukrainian-Canadian 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,” Rota said Friday, followed by a lengthy round of applause and a wave by Zelenskyy. “He’s a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service. Thank you.”

Jewish advocacy organizations, including the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center and B’nai Brith Canada, strongly criticized the act of honoring this individual as deeply troubling and “completely unacceptable.”

This is due to his association with the First Ukrainian Division, also recognized as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division, which operated under Nazi command during World War II.

Conservative opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre called it an “appalling error of judgment” by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, since his office would have approved inviting and honoring Hunka, and demanded Trudeau apologize and refrain from “passing the blame to others as he always does.”

Written by staff