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Toronto (September 26, 2023) - Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) welcomes Member of Parliament Anthony Rota’s resignation as Canada's Speaker of the House of Commons.

His decision came soon after FSWC publicly called for Rota to step down following his recognition of a former member of the Nazi Waffen-SS in Canada's Parliament. The Waffen-SS played an active role in widescale atrocities against Jews and others during the Holocaust.

FSWC President and CEO Michael Levitt issued the following statement:

"Although important questions remain as to how this debacle occurred, Anthony Rota’s stepping down is the correct decision in the aftermath of the hurt this incident has caused to Canada's Jewish community, Holocaust survivors, veterans and other victims of the Nazi regime. It’s also paramount that Parliament investigates this incident and shares the results with all Canadians.  

"If there’s to be any silver lining, it must be the reaffirmation of the critical importance of Holocaust education and remembrance, particularly as the number of Holocaust survivors dwindles and antisemitism escalates in Canada and around the world.  We hope all Canadians see this as an example of how important it is to learn from history, including the darkest chapters.

"This incident also reminds us of Canada's shameful past in not only failing to hold accountable thousands of Nazi war criminals involved in the Holocaust but granting them safe haven and allowing them to live out their lives in comfort and security in Canada. The Jewish community has long been critical of the failures of the Deschenes Commission and deeply hurt by multiple Canadian governments for not bringing Nazi war criminals in Canada to justice. It's now time for Ottawa to not only release the unredacted files related to the Deschenes Commission, but to also address the stark reality that there are still former Nazis with blood on their hands living in Canada."