"Captain Ella" takes on IDF spokesperson in Arabic role
The outgoing IDF Spokesperson in Arabic, Col. Avichay Adraee, will continue to assist as an advisor and will operate the social media accounts that appear under his name
The ceremony for the change of the IDF Arabic spokesperson took place on Sunday at the IDF Spokesperson's Office in Tel Aviv. Ella Waweya is replacing Col. Avichay Adraee after a tenure of about 20 years. During the ceremony, Waweya was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Ella Waweya, known as "Captain Ella," is 36 years old, was born in Qalansawe to a Muslim family, and enlisted in 2013 to become the first female soldier from the Triangle area. Ella rose through the ranks in the "New Media" department of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, and upon entering officers' training, she received the "President’s Excellence Award." She has about half a million followers on TikTok and Instagram.
The outgoing IDF Spokesperson in Arabic, Colonel Avichay Adraee, will continue to assist with activities related to Arabic and Middle Eastern affairs in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit during routine times and emergencies, in the capacity of an advisor. In the near future, he will continue to operate the social media accounts under his name, with an emphasis on conveying messages during operational events.
Adraee is considered a very well-known figure in the Arab world and has been interviewed hundreds of times on various channels, including Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya. In addition to his activity on Arabic-language television, he manages the IDF's social media accounts in Arabic.