The EAJC condemns the honoring of an SS veteran in the Parliament of Canada

During the ceremony on September 22, held on the occasion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to the Lower House of the Canadian Parliament (House of Commons), Speaker Anthony Rota paid tribute to the 98-year-old Ukrainian veteran of the Second World War Yaroslav Hunka. It was subsequently revealed that he had served in a Nazi unit implicated in the mass murder of Jewish people—the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (also known as the "Galicia" division). The plenary hall welcomed Hunka with a standing ovation.

This step drew justifiable condemnation from prominent Canadian Jewish organizations, 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 supports the demands for a thorough investigation into the circumstances. We acknowledge the apology of the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, and consider his decision to resign from office to be appropriate. However, the adequacy of this response can only be determined through a comprehensive inquiry, which is essential to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

It is crucial to understand that this is not merely a matter of dirty political maneuvering or factual errors. Preserving the memory of the darkest tragedies of the past, among which the Holocaust of European Jewry stands out, is a cornerstone of the political and humanistic landscape of the modern world. We frequently encounter deliberate attempts to distort the memory of the Holocaust. Those who engage in such actions disregard objective data and testimonies; they have no interest in historical truth. They manipulate reality to serve their immediate political interests. Under no circumstances must these individuals be given any cause to doubt the resolute, united, and principled stance of the Jewish and, indeed, the broader international community on key historical matters.

As we observe today, the echoes of World War II—along with the malicious distortion of history—result in new major tragedies and the loss of innocent lives. Regrettably, officials from various nations continue to seek pretexts to exploit the Holocaust of European Jewry, drawing contrived and inappropriate historical parallels to current events. The EAJC strongly condemns the incident in the lower house of the Canadian Parliament and insists on the necessity of a comprehensive investigation. Such occurrences must not be allowed to happen again.