Twenty years ago, Hedva Sela – known by her Belgian name, Jeanne Ben Zaken – first went public with a claim that stunned many: "I am the daughter of the King of Morocco." Three years ago, encouraged by her son, she launched legal proceedings against the estate of Morocco's former king, Hassan II (who ruled Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999), demanding that the reigning king, his three sisters, and younger brother recognize her as their sibling.
In an interview she gave to Yedioth Ahronoth three years ago, Sela said her attorneys had persuaded the court that Raoul Jossar, the husband of her late mother, Anita, was not her biological father. Yet more than three years into the case filed in Belgium, no conclusive evidence has been presented to establish that King Hassan II was her father. Sela's lawsuit demands that the king and his family submit to DNA testing – a demand that has been firmly rejected.
Atty. Stanislas Eskenazi, representing Morocco's Foreign Ministry, filed a counterclaim against Sela, alleging she is lying. The counterclaim states that Sela has no connection whatsoever to the royal family and that it was therefore inconceivable that the king and the princes should be asked to undergo DNA testing. In an interview with Israel Hayom, Eskenazi argued that Sela has no shred of evidence and that all she wants is "fair compensation" – in a word, money.
"Trying to speak for the dead"
Three years since the case opened in Belgium – have any new pieces of evidence been presented that prove a biological connection?
"She is trying to speak for the dead. There is no one left to contradict her version of events. She can adjust, expand, and reframe her narrative without facing direct contradiction from those involved – her late mother, Anita, and former King Hassan II. The one fact that remains constant is this: she has no verifiable evidence. What we are witnessing is not proof; it is a media campaign built on one of the greatest forgeries ever."
Beyond personal testimony and family recollections, what objective evidence has been presented to support the claim?
"None! To date, no objective, proven evidence establishing a biological connection has been presented. What we see are personal accounts and family narratives. Courts, however, decide based on evidence such as documents, verified facts, and scientifically reliable material capable of proving a concrete biological link."
Sela's attorneys said they proved "easily" that Raoul Jossar was not her father, and that doing so did not even require tissue testing.
"They have no proof that Raoul Jossar is not the biological father. They went to court on an ex parte (one-sided, without the opposing party present) basis and developed a narrative they have been running again and again. The court had no opposing party to argue against that finding. She has a brother, yet she did not even ask him to appear – because there would be consequences for the family. She gave the court an incorrect name and date of birth for her brother so that he could not be summoned to testify. And so the court ruled that Raoul Jossar was not her father, based solely on her narrative, with no evidence. She claimed in the press that she had conducted three DNA tests to show that Jossar was not her father. I, on the other hand, sent the test to an international DNA-testing expert in the US – and he did not reach the same conclusion."
"Not evidence – a forgery"
One argument raised is a physical resemblance between Sela and King Hassan II. Is that admissible evidence in court, and has it actually been presented as such?
"You do not open a DNA investigation based on subjective resemblance, because supposed resemblance is not evidentiary proof of any biological link. In this case, I took the photographs published online and in newspapers – offered as proof of a similar appearance – and gave them to a forensic expert for examination. He concluded they had been altered. Digital manipulation. These are not evidence. It is a forgery. In fact, everything she has produced in the context of this case has been distorted: her Belgian address, the photographs she sends to the media, her DNA test results, her motives – which are purely financial – and so on."
Sela's attorneys argue that the refusal to conduct a DNA test implies a fear that her claim will prove correct. What is your position? Is that a legitimate argument?
"If my client were afraid, he would be hiding. The state of Morocco appeared in the proceedings – we had no fear. We filed a criminal complaint. The Court of Appeals issued new investigative orders. It gave us grounds to conduct further investigations into her. Why would anyone grant another person a DNA test when no evidence has been presented? There is one goal here from the very start. The story began when Ben Zaken's Belgian attorney went to the Moroccan ambassador in Brussels to ask for money. He came to him and said, 'I have evidence. I represent the daughter of the late king. Let us reach a settlement.' That was published in the press – he asked for a 'discreet and equitable remedy.' But if you want recognition as the daughter of a king, you do not ask for a discreet remedy. And so she wants money – not recognition. You cannot be a princess in secret."
"She needs to come with evidence"
In the absence of substantive proof of a blood connection between different individuals, can one party compel the other to undergo DNA testing?
"In a country governed by the rule of law, there must be a minimum evidentiary threshold before invasive measures such as genetic testing can be compelled. Otherwise, anyone can force anyone else to submit to testing – including public figures – based on an allegation alone. In this case, I will make sure that does not happen, so that it does not set a precedent. I am certain that in Israel you are protective of privacy and individual rights. That is 'your property' – you certainly do not want it shared with the general public." Their declaration – "Why not just take the test?" – is absurd. It is akin to having a global database of DNA tests exposed to everyone."
"She should have come with solid evidence. Why didn't she bring her brother? Because she knows she has no proof – and that is why she went to the press. She is only dreaming of being a princess. She will not receive any DNA test from any member of Morocco's royal family. I am saying this in the clearest possible terms. There is no justification for such a request."
In addition to the main case in Belgium, there is a parallel case in the US seeking sealed medical records. Why was a second arena opened?
"She is losing the case in Belgium. She can see she is not going to get where she wanted, because in Belgium, a counterclaim by the state of Morocco has been filed against her. So she turned – again on an ex parte basis – to obtain biological material from 30 years ago, from the one occasion when the late king was treated at a hospital. Where and how would you find a hospital sample from 30 years ago that could be used for DNA identification? She is only looking to show she has something – to intimidate us, something that will not help in the Belgian case – but might help her enter into negotiations. That will never happen. The state of Morocco will not negotiate with a fraudster."
The response of attorney Nathalie Uyttendaele, representing Hedva Sela, reads as follows: "The statements made by the attorney representing the Kingdom of Morocco are riddled with untruths, and the media offensive he is waging is part of a pressure strategy aimed at evading the truth. Ms. Ben Zaken filed a lawsuit in the Belgian court with one sole objective – to be granted a basic right: to know who her father was. The Belgian court will rule on the claim after examining all the evidence before it, including testimony, documents and expert opinions, among them a world-renowned geneticist who examined Ms. Ben Zaken's genetic profile. The Belgian court has the authority to order DNA testing, and refusal to comply with such an order constitutes decisive proof of paternity."
She added, "The attorney's claims that Ms. Ben Zaken is 'losing the case in Belgium' are false and disrespectful to the court. The proceedings are at the stage of arguments and will be decided by the court on the basis of evidence. Ms. Ben Zaken has presented, and will present, a complete body of evidence that speaks for itself. Meanwhile, Morocco's standing in these proceedings is itself in question, and the court has yet to rule on whether it will allow Morocco to make any arguments at all – as opposed to family members themselves, who are entitled to participate."
Uyttendaele further argued, "The Belgian court has already ruled that Mr. Raoul Jossar is not Ms. Ben Zaken's biological father. It did so after hearing a range of evidence, including expert genetic opinion and evidence proving that Mr. Jossar had been at sea for months during the period when Ms. Ben Zaken's mother became pregnant. Contrary to what has been claimed, Ms. Ben Zaken informed the court of the existence of her brother – whom she last saw in 1996 following the death of her mother – but he could not be located. This is documented in writing in the court file, and any attempt to deny it only underscores the nature of the claims being made."
"The US proceedings are aimed at locating DNA samples in order to allow the case to be concluded quickly and efficiently. Anyone who truly wants the truth to be established cannot object to such a test. The fact that the Kingdom of Morocco is deploying its full weight and resources in an attempt to undermine and obstruct these proceedings speaks for itself."
On the claim that there is no physical resemblance between Ms. Ben Zaken and King Hassan II, Uyttendaele said, "Contrary to what has been claimed, the photographs of Ms. Ben Zaken and King Hassan II that show a striking resemblance between them are not forged – that allegation is false. There is an abundance of photographs of Ms. Ben Zaken, including those taken by media outlets, and of course an endless supply of photographs of King Hassan II. The strong resemblance is evident, and it will be presented to the Belgian court, including the professional basis for the comparison between the photographs."
"Prior to filing the paternity claim, Ms. Ben Zaken sought to allow a confidential determination of paternity – without public attention and without any financial demand. Ms. Ben Zaken did not want to enter into a legal battle facing the power and resources of an entire state, and did so only as a last resort. Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Morocco has for years been working to complicate and delay the proceedings by filing spurious claims against Ms. Ben Zaken and through other means aimed at intimidating her and deterring her from pursuing her paternity claim to its conclusion. The enormous resources Morocco is investing in this matter speak for themselves. All of this, while the facts can be established through a very simple test – immediately."
