Israel appoints first Muslim Arab woman as Arabic military spokesperson

ISRAEL (Web Desk) - Israel has appointed a Muslim woman as its Arabic military spokesperson for the first time, marking a significant development within the Israeli armed forces.

In an unusual decision, the Israeli military announced the appointment of Major Ella Waweya as its new Arabic-language spokesperson.

According to Israeli media, she will assume the role in the coming weeks, replacing Colonel Avichay Adraee, who has served in the position for the past 20 years and is set to retire. Major Ella Waweya, 36, popularly known on social media as “Captain Ella,” is among the leading Muslim Arab women officers in the Israeli military. She will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with this appointment.

Ella Waweya was born in the Arab town of Qalansawe in central Israel and voluntarily joined the Israeli army in 2013. Initially, she kept her decision to enlist hidden from her family. She is currently serving as the deputy to Colonel Adraee. She is also highly active on social media, with around 500,000 followers on TikTok and nearly 200,000 on X. Her appointment is being described as a major step forward in the growing representation of Arab citizens, particularly Muslim women, in the Israeli military.

Although Israel is a Jewish state, around 20 percent of its population consists of Arab citizens, including Muslims, Christians, and Druze. Under Israeli law, military service is mandatory for members of the Druze and Circassian communities, while participation for Muslim and Christian Arabs is voluntary. In recent years, voluntary enlistment among Arab youth, especially women, has increased.