Comedian Rob Schneider has cancelled a planned visit to Canada in response to the recognition of Ukrainian Nazi Yaroslav Hunka in the House of Commons on Friday.
Hunka, who fought with the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS in the Second World War, was honoured by Speaker of the House and Liberal MP Anthony Rota.
Hunka, 98, was invited to attend a speech given by Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy where Rota recognized him as a “war hero” who “fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians,” prompting MPs to give him a standing ovation.
Rota resigned Tuesday amid a growing backlash from opposition parties and Jewish advocacy groups once details of Hunka’s past were made public.
Schneider came to fame on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live and has had a number of blockbuster comedies. He said the scandal was “beyond the pale” and announced that he would be canceling his upcoming trip to Canada.
“This guy fought for Hitler! Not like what we call people Hitler today. THEE Hitler! Like in actual Adolf Hitler,” wrote the 59-year-old comedian on X.
Schneider, whose father is Jewish, also said that the “tyranny” imposed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the “peaceful trucker protestors,” was “insignificant” by comparison to the Hunka scandal.
An outspoken critic of Covid-19 lockdowns and mandates, Schneider took the opportunity to poke fun at the hypocrisy of the situation.
“GOOD NEWS CANADA!! THE NAZI WHO FOUGHT FOR HITLER AND WAS HONORED BY YOUR PRIME MINISTER AND YOUR HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT WAS TWICE VACCINATED AND DOUBLE BOOSTED! SO AT LEAST SOME OF HIS “VIEWS” WERE NOT COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE TO JUSTIN (THE TERRIBLE) TRUDEAU…” he wrote on X.
Schneider has starred in a number of films like 50 First Dates, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and The Animal. He is also a frequent collaborator with comedian Adam Sandler: the two have made 15 films together over their careers.
