The appointment to replace Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee as the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson has not yet been finalized, but it is likely that his deputy, Maj. Ella Wawia, will step into the role.
Known across the Arab world as “Captain Ella,” she gained fame through an online video series created to reach Arabic-speaking audiences.
Wawia, who grew up in the Arab-Israeli city of Kalanswa, began her public service at age 22 with national service at Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba. Two years later, she made the bold decision to enlist in the IDF—a move she initially hid from her family, who found out later.
After basic training, she joined Adraee’s team as a New Media NCO in the Arabic Communications Department. Two years later, she completed the officers’ course with distinction, receiving the President’s Award for Excellence. As a young officer, she returned to the Arabic department as deputy head and, in 2018, received another honor—the Chief of Operations Directorate’s Award for Excellence from then-Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva.