Justin Trudeau invites fresh row by honouring former Nazi in parliament
economictimes.indiatimes.comIndia, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may have picked up a battle with Israel by inviting an ex-Nazi to the country's parliament on the occasion of a visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week.
Canadian House of Commons speaker Anthony Rota on Sunday issued an apology to the Jewish community for honouring Yaroslav Hunka, 98, who served in a Nazi division in Ukraine during the Second World War. The apology came after Canada's leader of opposition Pierre Poilievre pointed out Trudeau's «appalling error in judgment» as the prime minister's office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits.
In a post on X, Poilievre said Liberals arranged for a Nazi veteran to be recognised on the floor of the House of Commons during Zelenskyy's visit and demanded an apology from thePM.
Earlier, Poilievre had pulled up Trudeau for not providing evidence against India in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
Canada-based Jewish human rights group, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, also voiced its outrage on X, stating that it was «appalled that Canada's Parliament gave a standing ovation to a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others».
Responding to the criticism, Rota extended apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. He regretted recognising Hunka who was in the gallery during Zelenskyy's address in the Canadian parliament and took full responsibility for his action.
