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害羞草研究所檚 visit to Ottawa on Friday, MPs honoured 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, who fought for the First Ukrainian Division, in the House of Commons.

Hunka was invited by Speaker Anthony Rota, who introduced him.

害羞草研究所淚 am very proud to say that he is from North Bay and from my riding of Nipissing害羞草研究所擳imiskaming,害羞草研究所� the Ontario MP said.

害羞草研究所淗e is a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service.害羞草研究所�

MPs cheered and Zelenskyy raised his fist in acknowledgement as Hunka saluted from the gallery during two separate standing ovations.

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 害羞草研究所渨as responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淎n apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation,害羞草研究所� the statement said.

Rota released a statement late Sunday afternoon saying he recognized an individual in the gallery on Friday, and that he has 害羞草研究所渟ubsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 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,害羞草研究所� he wrote.

害羞草研究所淚 particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world.害羞草研究所�

The statement does not make clear what Rota is apologizing for, and it does not name Hunka or give any details about what information Rota learned about him since Friday.

B害羞草研究所檔ai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said it is beyond outrageous that Parliament honoured a former member of a Nazi unit, saying Ukrainian 害羞草研究所渦ltra-nationalist ideologues害羞草研究所� who volunteered for the Galicia Division 害羞草研究所渄reamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e understand an apology is forthcoming. We expect a meaningful apology. Parliament owes an apology to all Canadians for this outrage, and a detailed explanation as to how this could possibly have taken place at the centre of Canadian democracy,害羞草研究所� Mostyn said.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which represents Jewish federations across the country, said it is deeply troubled by the incident.

害羞草研究所淐anada害羞草研究所檚 Jewish community stands firmly with Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression. But we can害羞草研究所檛 stay silent when crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust are whitewashed,害羞草研究所� the group said in a statement published Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Hunka. A spokesperson for the federal Conservatives said the party was not aware of his history at the time.

In a second written statement released late Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre laid the blame at the feet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

害羞草研究所淣o parliamentarians (other than Justin Trudeau) had the opportunity to vet this individual害羞草研究所檚 past before he was introduced and honoured on the floor of the House of Commons. Without warning or context, it was impossible for any parliamentarian in the room (other than Mr. Trudeau) to know of this dark past,害羞草研究所� Poilievre said.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister害羞草研究所檚 Office repeated Rota害羞草研究所檚 assertion that he alone invited Hunka.

害羞草研究所淧arliament and the Speaker害羞草研究所檚 office is independent from the prime minister and the Prime Minister害羞草研究所檚 Office,害羞草研究所� Mohammad Hussain said in a written statement Sunday.

害羞草研究所淭he Speaker had his own allotment of guest seating at Friday害羞草研究所檚 address, which were determined by the Speaker and his office alone.害羞草研究所�

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement Sunday evening he also shares concens about 害羞草研究所渢he individual honoured with a standing ovation,害羞草研究所� adding, without naming Hunka, that he was not a guest of the party and the NDPs were not aware of his 害羞草研究所渁ssociation with the Nazi regime.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭his event has caused harm to the Jewish community and for that, I am sorry,害羞草研究所� Singh said.

害羞草研究所淲e must all stand together against the rising tide of antisemitism.害羞草研究所�

Monuments to honour the First Ukrainian Division have caused controversy in recent years.

In 2021, a statue of Ukrainian military leader Roman Shukhevych and a monument to the fighters of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division in Edmonton were vandalized by someone who spray painted them with the words 害羞草研究所淎ctual Nazi.害羞草研究所�

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said at the time that it had been advocating for their removal for decades.

In 2020, a monument to the Waffen-SS Galicia Division in Oakville, Ont., was vandalized in a similar way.

The decision to admit Ukrainian immigrants who had served in the SS Waffen Division in the post-war period was contentious, with Jewish groups arguing they should be barred from the country.

The International Military Tribunal in Nuremburg declared the SS to be a criminal organization, including the SS Waffen in that declaration.

The Waffen-SS Galicia Division surrendered to the British army in 1945, and just over 8,000 men were moved to the United Kingdom in 1947.

In 1950, the federal cabinet decided to allow Ukrainians living in the U.K. to come to Canada 害羞草研究所渘otwithstanding their service in the German army provided they are otherwise admissible. These Ukrainians should be subject to special security screening, but should not be rejected on the grounds of their service in the German army.害羞草研究所�

In 1985, then-prime minister Brian Mulroney called for a royal commission to examine whether Canada had become a haven for war criminals.

The Desch锚nes Commission found there were about 600 former members of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division living in Canada at the time. But Justice Jules Desch锚nes said membership in the division did not itself constitute a war crime.