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| Neurosurgery and Politics
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| An interview with Jacques Brotchi, president of the World Federation of Neurosurgery and a Liberal member of the Belgian Senate. |
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Jacques Brotchi
Photo: Jacques Brotchi
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As head of the neurosurgery department of Hospital Erasme in Brussels, the 63-year-old has developed an active collaboration with the world renowned Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on joint research projects on the brain.
EJP spoke to Brotchi about his political intentions, and views on Jewish life in Europe.
EJP: Your are an internationally renowned doctor. Why did you choose politics ?
Jacques Brotchi : I didn’t choose politics, politics chose me. I am continuing my full time neurosurgery activities and my medical life. Politics came to me because of my many years of experience on the medical and ethical scenes. I was confronted with a battle to improve the situation of healthcare and so I accepted this challenge to enter into politics.
EJP: How do you intend to change things with politics ?
Jacques Brotchi : I have been given the opportunity to speak out directly and to ask questions to the ministers. Politics is interesting for me as long as it gives me the possibility to continue with my activities based on my love for neurosurgery, micro-sciences and ethic questions. Marrying practical experience and politics, I have the advantage to say what I think and to come with my medical experience based on facts and realities. It is not always easy to combine my experience with politics but I have been pleasantly surprised that people listen to me because of my experience on these topics.
EJP: As a Jew, how do you see your position today in politics in Europe ?
Jacques Brotchi : As a Jewish politician I believe I have an important role to play on various issues including the resurgence of anti-Semitism in many countries in Europe and the rise of religious intolerance.
But I am also attempting to transmit a dynamic of peace in the Middle East. In view of my experience in international neurosurgery, I often visit Israel but I have also been invited to Arab countries on a number of occasions.
They all know that I am Jewish and that I have family in Israel. Moreover, I prefer that they know it beforehand. I am used to speaking about neurosurgery with people who are more intellectuals than activists.
In all Middle eastern countries, you find intellectuals who are willing to live in peace and harmony. We must help them make contact with personalities in Israel.
Given my experience in neurosurgery, I have decided to create a Middle East peace group within the Belgian Senate.
Several Senators from diverse political parties, except for extremist parties, joined me. We are made up of 12 politicians and have received groups including those from Arab countries, and the Israeli ambassador.
We are extremely open to discussions. From the beginning I set the tone by saying that we are not a group aimed at giving advice or making criticisms about what has to be done or not. We should not give lessons to anyone.
We want personal contacts and links be established in order to lead to a better understanding. We leave to the political leaders from these countries to decide between them.
As we are living here, I think that we have no right to tell the Israelis what is good and what should be done.
EJP: Do you see a place for a Jewish life in Europe today ?
Jacques Brotchi : I also ask myself this question. I am naturally optimistic. I think that because Europe has evolved we should not experience any more atrocities as those that occurred during WWII.
Don’t forget that the ex-Yugoslavia countries, not far from us, have experienced atrocious wars based on religious intolerance motives. Between them they did what the Nazis did to us.
This doesn’t mean that there is no future for European Judaism. But a resurgence of anti-Semitism exists – the extreme right is becoming stronger and stronger.
Even if a synagogue is set on fire, a rabbi is attacked in the street, I don’t think the anti-Semitism will reach such high levels as were witnessed under the Nazis.
But one should note that it happens, we have to condemn such acts, be firm and react from the outset. We should also, I think, react in a subtle way on the matter of defence of Judaism.
I think that we must send non-Jewish political friends rather than Jews to the forefront. It is better when a non-Jew address the House to denounce anti-Semitic acts. We have friends in politics who must be stimulated.
EJP: Are you afraid of the extreme-right or do you agree with those who say the real enemies are radical Islamists and not extreme-rightists?
Jacques Brotchi : I don’t see the difference because on both sides there is intolerance but the manner to express it is just different. It’s a rejection of the identity of someone who doesn’t think the same. A rejection of the foreigner in another form.
One knows very well that the extreme-right is xenophobic and that radical or Islamist movements are intolerant towards any person who thinks differently. Personally I am as firm with the extreme- right than as with Islamists.
EJP: Even when the extreme right party in Belgium sees it as Israel’s real friend?
Jacques Brotchi : It’s not true and totally vote-catching. One should not believe them. One always begins by stating that they don’t like Arabs and than they don’t like Jews. We don’t have to be naive.
EJP: Do you think Europe has changed towards Israel
Jacques Brotchi : I think that the rejection of the European constitution in France and Holland was not a bad thing. Even if I believe that the rejection was an error, I think that it brought more humility in Europe.
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