Canadian House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota resigned this week after inviting former Nazi soldier Yaroslav Hunka to be recognized by lawmakers. Other Members of Parliament also received criticism for giving Hunka a standing ovation after Rota honored him on the House floor. Hunka is a 98-year-old Nazi veteran who fought against Russia in the First Ukrainian Division, also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, and was invited to the House during talks to further support Ukraine’s current war efforts. 

 

Information came to light over the weekend that Hunka fought for the Nazis in World War II and was part of a SS division responsible for crimes against humanity. Rota apologized and took full responsibility for inviting Hunka without knowing about his background. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also apologized Wednesday, expressing embarrassment for both Parliament and Canada as a whole. 

Most conversations online condemned the actions of the House of Commons and denounced the ignorance of lawmakers for not doing their research before inviting Hunka.

 

Elon Musk participated in an online conversation on X with Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro Thursday, titled “X, Anti-semitism, Faith, and Free Speech.” Musk and Shapiro were joined by a host of Jewish figures, including Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Natan Sharansky, and Rabbi Ari Lamm, CEO of Bnai Zion. Over 360,000 people listened in on the conversation as the speakers discussed how to combat antisemitism on X while upholding free speech on the platform. 

 

The conversation comes amid increased antisemitic rhetoric on the platform, formerly known as Twitter. Earlier this week, a group of over 100 Jewish leaders released a public letter criticizing X and Musk for enabling a “new stage of antisemitic discourse.” The group cited concerns starting in last October, when Musk allowed banned users back onto the platform. 

 

Musk recently threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League, claiming their criticism of hate speech on the platform directly resulted in a decrease in X’s ad revenue. Musk’s comments were part of a larger movement by antisemites who called to ban the ADL from the platform. 

 

Online reaction was mixed, as some users applauded the conversation, the panelists that spoke, and comments made by Musk, while others were skeptical that the conversation will result in meaningful change and argued that the panelists did not challenge Musk with their questions. Some users also pointed out the panelists were predominantly male.

Roger Waters, former frontman of English rock band “Pink Floyd,” has once again been accused of antisemitism following an investigation by British non-profit organization Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA). CAA released a 37-minute documentary Wednesday titled “The Dark Side of Roger Waters,” which included interviews with two of his former colleagues, Bob Ezrin and Norbert Statchel. Statchel stated Waters mocked his grandmother who was killed in the Holocaust and demanded that vegetarian food, which he called “Jew food,” be taken away. 

 

The documentary also featured emails allegedly written by Waters, including one in which he asks his staff members to add the words “dirty k—” on the inflatable pig that is a staple of his concerts. Waters has repeatedly been scrutinized for deploying an inflatable pig emblazoned with the Star of David, most recently in May, during a show in Berlin.

Many users online expressed outrage with Waters, though others mentioned the film furthered reiterated their beliefs that Waters is antisemitic.

 

Jewish people across the world observed Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, on Monday. Yom Kippur marks the end of the “Ten Days of Repentance,” a special period of time in the Jewish calendar that follows after the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. 

While this time period is meant for reflection and atonement, a disturbing number of antisemitic acts took place around the country, including graffiti incidents and flyers discovered in several states. Some examples include a newsstand in New York City graffitied with “F*** Jews, Die,” five communities in Ohio targeted with hateful flyers, and the San Diego city council targeted with antisemitic rhetoric during the public comment period.

 

Brooklyn, Ohio high school football coach Tim McFarland resigned and apologized this week after he used the word “Nazi” in one of his plays against Beachwood High School, which has a nearly 90% Jewish student body. In addition, multiple Brooklyn players were found to have used racial slurs during the game. 

Many users online condemned the coach for his antisemitism and brought attention to the issue of discrimination in youth sports.

 

The third annual Eradicate Hate Global Summit took place in Pittsburgh this week to further efforts to combat hate worldwide. The Summit was first created as a response to the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, which killed 11 people.

More than 1,200 experts in respective fields participated in the conference and shared best practices. Speakers include Natan Sharansky, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Foundation to Combat Antisemitism Senior Advisor Matthew Berger. Several speakers, including Co-Chair Laura Ellsworth and Palm Beach Synagogue Summit to Combat Antisemitism Co-Chairs Michael and Nolan Greenwald, wore Blue Square pins during their remarks in support of FCAS’ “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign.

 

 

 

 

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