OTTAWA – Several Jewish advocacy organizations condemned members of Parliament on Sunday for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War. During Ukr...
OTTAWA – Several Jewish advocacy organizations condemned members of Parliament on Sunday for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Ottawa on Friday, MPs honoured 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka in the House of Commons.
Hunka was invited by Speaker Anthony Rota, who introduced him as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.
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The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement Sunday saying the division “was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.”
Why is this being downvoted? He was literally part of the SS. He was in a Ukrainian division that voluntarily worked with the Nazis. On the one hand, it’s understandable that you might get confused by the name because if you’re not aware of the connection then it sounds innocent. On the other hand, did no one do any screening of the event to ensure they wouldn’t be calling on a former member of the SS to be honored?
I was skeptical of it too at first, most of the media reporting on it so far are right wing chuds. So everybody is still in denial and assuming it must be some kind of an op.
It’s not, it’s real, the Speaker invited a man who fought for Nazi Germany into the House, and somehow every layer of the LPC did not remember who fought against the Russians in WW2.
This has to be a hit job right. The speaker is a political science major whose worked in politics his whole career. How is this considered a mistake or incompetence because it should be seen as purposefully done I think
It’s his own party that’s in government, so I’m not sure what the motive would be.
He was probably in college 40 years ago and I’m not sure how much military history is involved in that major, so I don’t find it implausible he and a few select staffers wouldn’t realise. Going by the ones I’ve interacted with politicians are salespeople, not academics.
The answer (which I do not necessarily endorse) is that the Canadian government decided this particular division was not guilty, back in 1986:
The Galicia Division (14. Waffen grenadier division der SS [gal. #1]) should not be indicted as a group. The members of Galicia Division were individually screened for security purposes before admission to Canada. Charges of war crimes of Galicia Division have never been substantiated, either in 1950 when they were first preferred, or in 1984 when they were renewed, or before this Commission. Further, in the absence of evidence of participation or knowledge of specific war crimes, mere membership in the Galicia Division is insufficient to justify prosecution.
Yeah. This is a major gaffe. I’ve seen the odd post villanizing this dude in particular, which I’m not sure is called for. (I don’t know it’s not, but I’m hesitant to yell at a 90 year old over what uniform they wore when they were younger than I am now.) Regardless of who the dude is or was though, it’s a bad look, and they do deserve to be called out on the eminently stupid oversight to not to the bare minimum of research before choosing someone to bring in.
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Why is this being downvoted? He was literally part of the SS. He was in a Ukrainian division that voluntarily worked with the Nazis. On the one hand, it’s understandable that you might get confused by the name because if you’re not aware of the connection then it sounds innocent. On the other hand, did no one do any screening of the event to ensure they wouldn’t be calling on a former member of the SS to be honored?
I was skeptical of it too at first, most of the media reporting on it so far are right wing chuds. So everybody is still in denial and assuming it must be some kind of an op.
It’s not, it’s real, the Speaker invited a man who fought for Nazi Germany into the House, and somehow every layer of the LPC did not remember who fought against the Russians in WW2.
The speaker issued an apology this afternoon.
Complete absolute morons.
Apparently the speaker made the decision without consulting too many people.
This has to be a hit job right. The speaker is a political science major whose worked in politics his whole career. How is this considered a mistake or incompetence because it should be seen as purposefully done I think
It’s his own party that’s in government, so I’m not sure what the motive would be.
He was probably in college 40 years ago and I’m not sure how much military history is involved in that major, so I don’t find it implausible he and a few select staffers wouldn’t realise. Going by the ones I’ve interacted with politicians are salespeople, not academics.
Uh, how has he not been tried as a war criminal? Damn.
The answer (which I do not necessarily endorse) is that the Canadian government decided this particular division was not guilty, back in 1986:
So if he was found not guilty isn’t there no issue here?
A reminder “not guilty” isn’t “innocent”, especially when there’s fog of war involved. The dude was still in the Waffen SS.
Well, as far as I know, he was never personally investigated, but the division was, and they didn’t find any conclusive evidence.
Either way, surely they could have found someone who didn’t fight the Allies during WWII to make an appearance?
Yeah. This is a major gaffe. I’ve seen the odd post villanizing this dude in particular, which I’m not sure is called for. (I don’t know it’s not, but I’m hesitant to yell at a 90 year old over what uniform they wore when they were younger than I am now.) Regardless of who the dude is or was though, it’s a bad look, and they do deserve to be called out on the eminently stupid oversight to not to the bare minimum of research before choosing someone to bring in.