Tel Aviv (Monitoring Desk) — In an unprecedented move, the Israeli military has announced Major Ella Wawiyah as its new Arabic-language spokesperson. She will take over in the coming weeks from Colonel Avichai Adrai, who has held the position for the past 20 years and is now retiring.
The 36-year-old Major Ella Wawiyah, known on social media as “Captain Ella,” is among the leading Muslim Arab female officers in the Israeli army. She will be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel upon assuming the role.
Major Wawiyah was born in the Arab town of Qalansawe in central Israel and voluntarily joined the Israeli military in 2013. Initially, she kept her enlistment a secret from her family. She is currently serving as Deputy to Colonel Adrai and is active on social media, with 500,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 200,000 on X (formerly Twitter).
Her appointment is seen as a significant step in increasing representation of Arab citizens, particularly Muslim women, in the Israeli military. Arabs make up about 20% of Israel’s total population, including Muslims, Christians, and Druze, with compulsory recruitment for Druze and Circassian communities.
