Hedva, Hassan's alleged daughter, is said to bear a strong resemblance to himYou've heard of Muammar Gaddafi's Jewish grandmother; and the wartime Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Said's Jewish grandson. Now Point of No Return brings you news of the King of Morocco's Israeli lovechild.
In truth, the story first hit the headlines in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot in 2005. Hedva Sella, a 53-year-old hotel receptionist in Eilat, revealed herself to be the illegitimate child of the late King Hassan of Morocco, to whom she bears a strong resemblance.
Hedva's mother, Anita Benzaquen, was the King's mistress. The Benzaquen family were prominent, bourgeois Jews with good connections to the royal family. Hedva's uncle, Leon Benzaquen, was named minister of Posts and Communications when Morocco became independent. Her grandfather, Joseph Benzaquen, was a respected doctor in the Jewish community and his brother Leon-Arie was a specialist in tropical medicine. The latter set up the first medical centre in Morocco for the treatment of tuberculosis.
"My family had warm relations with the King of Morocco", says Lisa-Luce, daughter of Joseph Benzaquen, whose family scattered to Belgium and Israel after his death. Quite how warm - no-one suspected: Hedva was the result of an affair between her sister Anita and the crown prince, 23-year-old Moulay Hassan.
Apparently her brother Jackie was also fathered by Hassan, who had something of a reputation as a skirt-chaser. On his mother's death in 1997, Jackie insisted on burning all her photos and letters and refuses to discuss the matter. Although no documentary proof exists the blood relationship could be confirmed by a simple DNA test.
Hedva did not receive payment for her story in Yediot Aharonot. Her only wish has been to meet her half-brother King Mohammed v1.
It is hardly surprising that the royal Moroccan court has refused to comment. But if ever the day came when Mohammed V1 of Morocco wanted to improve relations with Israel - what better way than to acknowledge the existence of his Israeli siblings?
From Dafina website (French)
A long time ago
ReplyDeleteI heard King Hassan say something extraordinary:
Jews and Arabs can work hand in hand. The genius of the Jewish people together with that of Moroccons could be the begining of
a Great era.....
But of course he died too soon to put in practice what he preached.
Sultana Latifa
The source article had a posting that asked why someone would wait so long before bringing up parentage. Here's an example from the United States.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essie_Mae_Washington-Williams
She did not reveal her true father's identity until she was 78 years old, after [Senator] Thurmond's death in 2003.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strom_Thurmond#Another_daughter
Washington-Williams has stated that she did not reveal she was Thurmond's daughter during his lifetime because it "wasn't to the advantage of either one of us." [citation: TV broadcast of interview]
The difference is in the family's response.
When Washington-Williams announced her family connection, it was acknowledged by the Thurmond family. In 2004 the state legislature approved the addition of her name to the list of Thurmond children on a monument for Senator Thurmond on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds [citation: NY Times].
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ReplyDeleteThat story has been peddled on the Internet for years now. I don't believe a word of it. I don't think she looks like Hassan II.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the story of Kaddafi being Jewish either (although his name is Mummar = convert in Hebrew ;)).
Sylvia -- with hindsight, i agree with you. the putative charge of jewish ancestry gets used to discredit leaders. I am so happy to live in a country where leaders themselves are proud of their Jewish relatives.
ReplyDelete