TOMORROW

Ella Waweya

Lieutenant Colonel

Ella Waweya, a Muslim Arab officer who concealed her IDF service from her family for 18 months, has become one of Israel’s most powerful communicators to the Arab world. Appointed the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson in February 2026, “Captain Ella” succeeded Col. Avichay Adraee after his two-decade tenure and was promoted to lieutenant colonel—making her the highest-ranking Muslim officer in Israeli military history. Born in the Arab town of Qalansawe, the 36-year-old volunteered for service in 2013. During the Gaza and Lebanon wars of 2024–2025, Waweya emerged as a commanding digital presence—amassing more than 500,000 followers on TikTok and 170,000 on X—explaining IDF operations in fluent Arabic and Islamic terms. “Muhammad’s edict before war was not to kill a man, woman, or animal—Hamas leadership is the exact opposite,” she has said. Her mission, she explains, is to “change the image in Arab society and show the togetherness of the State of Israel.”