Comedian Rob Schneider has cancelled a trip to Canada after Parliament honored a man who fought for a Nazi military unit. Schneider, who has Jewish roots, expressed his disappointment with Canada and its leaders, stating that the incident was “beyond the pale.” He posted on social media, “I just canceled my trip to Canada. Trudeau’s tyranny against peaceful trucker protesters seems insignificant to this despicable and outrageous act of honoring one of ADOLF HITLER’S NAZI SS Soldiers by the Canadian Parliament.”
The man being honored, Yaroslav Hunka, was a former member of the Waffen SS, a Nazi division accused of war crimes during World War II. He was celebrated during a visit from Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy on September 22. In a statement, Speaker of the House Anthony Rota referred to Mr. Hunka as “a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero,” and thanked him for his service. However, after learning about Mr. Hunka’s involvement with the Nazis, Rota issued an apology on September 24, acknowledging that he was solely responsible for inviting him to Parliament.
Schneider also called on Canadian actor William Shatner to apologize for his citizenship and posted a sarcastic apology for dating a Canadian woman, as well as for watching hockey games and eating maple syrup on his pancakes. This controversy ultimately led to Mr. Rota’s resignation on September 26. In his resignation announcement, Rota acknowledged that his recognition of Yaroslav Hunka had caused pain to numerous individuals and communities, including the Jewish community and survivors of Nazi atrocities. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally apologized for the incident on behalf of Parliament on September 27, stating that recognizing Mr. Hunka was a “terrible mistake” and a violation of the memory of those who suffered under the Nazi regime. Trudeau emphasized that Rota was solely responsible for the invitation and recognition of Mr. Hunka, and expressed deep regret on behalf of all members of the House. Before issuing the apology, Trudeau condemned the recognition of Mr. Hunka as a “horrendous violation” that deeply pained the Jewish community.