Colonel Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, is retiring and leaving the military after three decades of service in the army and 20 years in the Spokesperson’s Unit.

In recent years, Adraee became one of the most influential Israeli figures in shaping discourse and public opinion in the Arab world, maintaining highly active social media platforms with millions of followers across the Arab world.

Adraee became especially prominent during the war thanks to his Arabic-language video messages and posts urging civilians in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and even Iran to evacuate dangerous areas and avoid combat zones. He was perceived by many in the Arab world as a tough but credible figure and became a major focus of regional media attention.

One of the most notable examples of his influence was in Yemen. With just a single tweet, he managed to deter Yemenis from approaching the country’s three main ports: Hodeidah, Al-Salif, and Ras Isa. For over a week, civilians and Houthi terrorists avoided the ports, which were effectively shut down out of fear of an Israeli strike—all without the Air Force launching a single plane.

During his tenure, Adraee exposed internal Hamas documents, including orders from commanders instructing that fellow terrorists be locked out of tunnels and left to die. These revelations highlighted Hamas’s use of civilian facilities and innocent civilians for military purposes. He also published numerous Arabic-language videos showing images from Gaza and Israel, exposing the gap between Hamas propaganda and reality, and openly challenging the “Hamas victory” narrative.

Over the past two years, Adraee focused heavily on Lebanon, repeatedly addressing Lebanese civilians, urging them to distance themselves from Hezbollah activity zones, and even suggesting they “contact the Mossad to improve their future.” His statements drew enormous attention—and at times sharp criticism. A columnist in Egypt’s Al-Ahram wrote that “Adraee is a trap,” while some Arab media outlets called him “an Israeli propaganda tool” aimed at shifting Arab public opinion.

Leading Arab news sites often relied on his statements as a credible source of information. At the same time, he became a target of mockery, caricatures, impersonations, and frequent insults on social media. He has been the target of many threats to his life over the years. After an Arab terrorist carried out a deadly car-ramming attack in Ra’anana last year, the police revealed that Adraee was his initial target.

“In Lebanon, he’s seen as the supreme ruler; in Syria, he created order and prevented terrorists from entering demilitarized zones; in Iran, he’s followed and respected; in Yemen, he imposed a naval blockade; and in Gaza, he evacuates neighborhoods, villages, and cities,” an officer from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit told Maariv.

Another military source added that Adraee’s messages and warnings inflicted severe psychological damage on Hezbollah. “It reached a point where the Lebanese public trusted his words more than those of Nasrallah or the Lebanese government. For many, he became a figure to obey. Every warning of his was treated almost as a command.”

Adraee has exceptional access to Arab media. Nearly every media outlet in the Middle East sought to interview him or get his comment. He became a source of information, a familiar figure, and a controversial yet unavoidable Israeli symbol.

In a commentary published by Doron Kadosh on Galei Tzahal, he noted that Adraee’s retirement is a major blow to Israeli public diplomacy and military communications. Kadosh wrote that this isn’t just another officer stepping down but is “the departure of a figure larger than the role he filled.”

Kadosh added that Adraee built the entire field from scratch over the past two decades. He mastered every social media platform from Facebook to TikTok and responded to every blogger, tweeter, or journalist who defamed Israel in fluent, colloquial Arabic. He used his extensive knowledge of Islam and Quranic verses to counter false claims in the Arab world with sharp, clear language. His role proved especially critical during the recent war, and his absence will be deeply felt in the IDF.

Kadosh concluded that Adraee leaves behind enormous shoes to fill, and his retirement is expected to reverberate across the Middle East. Still, he emphasized that the IDF must not abandon the Arabic-language public diplomacy arena.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)