Canadian Parliament Condemned for Welcoming Ukrainian Nazi Veteran
The Canadian branch of the non-governmental Simon Wiesenthal Center for Human Rights and the Fight against Anti-Semitism condemned the reception and celebration of the old Ukrainian Nazi Yaroslav Gunka in the Canadian Parliament.
Concerns Raised by the Simon Wiesenthal Center
In a statement, the center said: “The Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center (a division of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Toronto) expresses serious concern about the Canadian Parliament’s expression of gratitude to a Ukrainian war veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the World War. World War II and participated in the mass murder of Jews and other people.” “The center feels angry and hurt because parliamentarians gave it a warm welcome on Friday.”
Apology and Explanation Demanded
The statement added: “An apology must be made to all Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans who fought against the Nazis, as well as an explanation for how this individual received an invitation and reception from the Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
Presence of Yaroslav Honka
Earlier, the American Associated Press drew attention to Honka’s presence at Zelensky’s speech in the Canadian parliament. The agency published a photo of Zelensky’s speech, in which he shows the audience a clenched fist, and next to him stands Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the accompanying caption read: “Zelensky and Trudeau welcome Yaroslav Honka, who was present in Parliament and who served in the Ukrainian contingent”. The first during the Great Patriotic War.
Controversial Background of Yaroslav Honka
It is noteworthy that 98-year-old Yaroslava Khonka was invited to a parliamentary meeting on Friday on the occasion of Zelensky’s visit. During the event, the speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, to the applause of those gathered, introduced Honka as “a fighter for the independence of Ukraine from the Russians during the World War.” But in fact it turned out that Honka was a former member of the “Galicia” volunteer division of the Nazi SS, in which Ukrainian nationalists and not only fought against the Red Army, but also became famous for atrocities against Jews, Poles, Belarusians and Slovaks.