Canadian House Speaker Apologizes for Epic Gaffe After Zelensky Speech
INSTANT REGRETMatt Young
Night Editor
Published Sep. 24, 2023 11:04PM EDT
Canada’s Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, has apologized to the Jewish community after he led lawmakers in paying tribute to a veteran who allegedly belonged to a Nazi division during WWII, according to Politico.
The tribute, which took place after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Canada’s House of Commons during an in-person visit, saw members from both sides give 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation after Rota introduced him as a “a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service.”
The tribute appalled Jewish organizations who called for an apology after exposing that the First Ukrainian Division—also known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division–served under the Nazis. “I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them,” Rota said in a Sunday apology.
