ISLAMABAD: The Israeli Army has appointed first Muslim officer Ella Wayiya as its new Arabic-language spokesperson.
According to the Israeli media, Muslim officer Ella Wawiya will take over the role from Colonel Avichai Adrai, who has held the position for the past 20 years and is set to retire in the coming weeks.
Thirty-six-year-old Major Wawiya, known on social media as “Captain Ella,” is among the top Muslim Arab female officers in the Israeli military. Upon her appointment, she will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Wawiya was born in the Arab town of Qalansawe in central Israel and voluntarily joined the Israeli military in 2013. Initially, she kept her enlistment a secret from her family. She currently serves as Deputy to Colonel Adrai and is very active on social media, with approximately 500,000 followers on TikTok and 200,000 on X (formerly Twitter).
Her appointment is being seen as a significant step in increasing the representation of Arab citizens, particularly Muslim women, within the Israeli armed forces.
Although Israel is a Jewish state, nearly 20% of its population comprises Arab citizens, including Muslims, Christians, and Druze. Under Israeli law, members of the Druze and Circassian communities are required to serve in the military for a specified period.