During a ceremony on September 22nd, marking the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the lower house of the Canadian Parliament (House of Commons), its Speaker Anthony Rota honored 98-year-old Ukrainian World War II veteran Yaroslav Gunka. It was later revealed that Gunka had served in a Nazi unit implicated in the mass murder of Jews — the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (also known as “Galicia”). The plenary session hall greeted Gunka with applause.
This move drew justified condemnation from prominent Jewish organizations in Canada, such as the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).
The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) joins in the strong condemnation of the incident and demands a thorough investigation into the circumstances. We appreciate the apology from the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, Anthony Rota, and find his decision to resign from his position justified. However, the proportionality of this consequence can only be determined by a comprehensive review. Only such a review can help prevent similar incidents in the future.
It’s essential to understand that this isn’t merely about political machinations or factual errors. The memory of the gravest tragedies of the past, especially the catastrophe of European Jewry during World War II, is foundational in the political and humanitarian landscape of the modern world. We often encounter attempts to deliberately distort the memory of the Holocaust. Those who allow themselves such actions ignore objective data and testimonies, showing no interest in historical truth. They replace reality based on their immediate political interests. We must never give these individuals a reason to doubt the firm, united, and sound position of the Jewish community and, more broadly, the global community on the most crucial historical issues.
As we see today, the echoes of World War II events, as well as the malicious distortion of history, result in new major tragedies and the death of innocent people. Regrettably, officials from various countries merely seek reasons to continue referencing the catastrophe of European Jewry, drawing contrived and inappropriate historical parallels with current events. The EAJC strongly condemns what happened in the lower house of the Canadian Parliament and insists on the need for a comprehensive investigation of the incident. Such incidents must not be allowed in the future.
