Many Lebanese knew Adraee already 10 years ago. He was trying to communicate respectfully with Lebanese but was answered with insults. Today, everyone "deifies" him. 

Back then, Avichay Adraee was hiding behind dark framed eyeglasses, making him look strict and serious, although he had humor and was kind.

Living in Lebanon, I was too afraid to follow him or to reply. I used to read all the horrible replies by Lebanese/Hezbollah to Adraee's kind approach.

The insults and arrogance of Arabs, Lebanese, and Hezbollah were unmatched. They tried to destroy him verbally for at least 10 years. 

Now Adraee became THE source and reference. The flood of insults has decreased tremendously, he, and the IDF, receives lots of praise for destroying Hezbollah. 

On 1st of July, a retired IDF, who was in Lebanon in 1982, called me to ask whether Lebanese would understand when Avichay Adraee spoke because he heard a guy online saying no one understood Adraee's Lebanese.

I told him Avichay speaks excellently. Everyone can understand him. He does a great job and looks friendly. Always kind and polite with a human approach, he also understands Lebanese humor, and he looks like a good father (family guy) - and he finally changed his eyeglasses! His olive green uniform is a great bait - at least for Christians!

I asked him who the person was who talked badly about Adraee. When he told me the name, I replied: "This guy is Syrian faking as Lebanese, he talks badly about Adraee because he wants Israel to fund him a TV station, beware! What he is saying about Adraee isn't true. He speaks excellently, Lebanese, too"

What few may notice about Adraee is that he doesn't only post about achieved goals of IDF, or location of strikes for evacuation, or replies to the humor of Lebanese, Adraee is a teacher.

Adraee quotes the Quran to teach Muslim to adopt only the good verses of the Quran. He even posts videos in which he tackles a verse and explains that Jews shouldn't be the enemies and that Muslim have to be kind to non-Muslim. 

He also teaches that targets at war should be only armed people, so he posts footages circling Hezbollah to show that Israel doesn't target civilians but only armed militias. 

It's remarkable how he doesn't hide his identity. He says: Ana Ibn Al Yahoudiya. I'm the son of the Jews. 

He is proud and shows no signs of dhimmitude, unlike many Christians in Lebanon who try to hide their identity and fake their history.

Adraee is an IDF soldier but a different kind of soldier. He talks to common people. He interacts with the "enemy." Israel's laws don't forbid interacting with the enemy.

When Hezbollah was at war with Syrians, he would also interact with the Syrian "enemy," even with ISIS. However, Hezbollah forbids Lebanese from talking with the Israeli "enemy."

Adraee broke this taboo. Many people with problems write to Adraee. Among others, women wrote to Adraee for the IDF to strike their cheating men!

Avichay Adraee, hope to see you in a new Lebanon!