Israeli Army appoints first Muslim woman as Arabic-language spokesperson

The Israeli military has taken a landmark step by appointing Major Ella Wawiya as its new Arabic-language spokesperson.

She will assume the role in the coming weeks, replacing Colonel Avichay Adraee, who is retiring after serving in the position for nearly two decades.

The 36-year-old officer, widely known on social media as “Captain Ella”, is among the most prominent Muslim Arab women serving in the Israeli armed forces. She will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel upon taking up the post.

Ella Wawiya hails from the Arab town of Qalansuwa in central Israel and voluntarily joined the military in 2013. She initially kept her enlistment secret from her family. She is currently serving as deputy to Colonel Adraee.

She maintains a strong presence on social media, with around 500,000 followers on TikTok and approximately 200,000 on X.

Her appointment is being viewed as a significant development in the representation of Arab citizens—particularly Muslim women—within the Israeli military.

Although Israel is a Jewish state, Arab citizens make up around 20 per cent of its population, including Muslims, Christians and Druze.

Under Israeli law, military service is compulsory for members of the Druze and Circassian communities, while enlistment remains voluntary for Muslim and Christian Arabs.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in voluntary enlistment among Arab youth, especially women.