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News   Israel News

Muslim Arab ‘Captain Ella’ tapped as IDF Arabic spokesperson

Maj. Ella Waweya will replace Col. Avichay Adraee, who is retiring from his role after two decades of service.

Feb. 3, 2026
JNS Staff

Muslim Arab ‘Captain Ella’ tapped as IDF Arabic spokesperson

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Maj. Ella Waweya of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. Courtesy photo.
Maj. Ella Waweya of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. Courtesy photo.

Israel Defense Forces Maj. Ella Waweya has been named as the military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, replacing Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF announced on Tuesday.

Internationally known as “Captain Ella,” the 36-year-old Muslim Arab from the central Israeli city of Qalansawe, located east of Netanya, will be promoted to Lt.-Col. upon starting her new role.

She has served in the Israeli military since 2013 and currently serves as Adraee’s deputy.

Adraee, who has been the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman for the past 20 years, is set to retire.

Waweya has become a fixture in the Arabic-language press, and is most prominently known for her “Captain Ella Videos,” a series of informational films about Israel and the IDF for the Arab society.

“This is my place, to change the image in the Arab society and to show the togetherness of the State of Israel,” she told JNS in a 2023 interview.

IDF
JNS Staff
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