Arabic media rejoices at retirement of IDF Arabic spokesman Adraee, the 'nightmare' of the Middle East

Lt.-Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic‑language spokesman, announced his upcoming retirement from the military on Tuesday, after 20 years of army service that made him an infamous media star in the Arab world.

The news was covered extensively on Arabic-language media outlets, as Adraee’s sarcastic and mocking messages to terror leaders – and particularly his evacuation notices for sites in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran over the past two years – have made him one of Israel’s most recognizable faces across the Middle East.

According to Army Radio, Adraee and IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin will soon determine the timing of his retirement and his successor.

“He is considered an Israeli symbol, as reflected in countless caricatures depicting him, discussions in major Arabic-language news studios, TikTok and Instagram videos across social networks, and commentary by prominent Arab media analysts around the world,” wrote Doron Kadosh, military correspondent for Army Radio.

“Over the years, there have also been attempts to harm Adraee, including an incident in which a man was caught following him and attempting to attack him. At certain times, he was assigned personal security protection,” Kadosh added.

Adraee began his service in the IDF Intelligence Directorate Unit 8200, often described as the equivalent of the U. S. National Security Agency (NSA). In 2005, he became head of the Arabic media department in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

While seen as an enemy to Israel's adversaries, Adraee’s warnings were broadly estimated to be trustworthy, and his information was often more precise than that of Arabic media outlets.

In addition to his social media channels, which have millions of followers, Adraee also often appeared in interviews and live broadcasts on the largest Arabic channels, hotly debating and defending his country in fluent Arabic.

The Saudi Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper published a long article recounting Adraee’s career, while the more hostile Qatari news outlet, The New Arab, described Adraee as “infamous for his threats, evacuation warnings and bad-taste humour,” and claimed that he became a symbol of fear for civilians from Gaza to Lebanon over the course of the war. 

Lebanon’s MTV channel, seen as opposed to Hezbollah, published a story with the headline, “After Adraee, who will be the nightmare of the Lebanese people?”

The same article asked, "Who is “Captain Ella?" referring to Major Ella Waweya, who served as Adraee’s deputy and may be a frontrunner to replace him.

Waweya hails from Qalansawe, Israel, and was the first Arab woman to reach the rank of major in the Israel Defense Forces.