Khaberni - The stock of "Captain Eila" has risen in Tel Aviv to succeed Colonel Avichai Adraee, the spokesman for Arab media, who announced his retirement from military service last Tuesday.
Eila is a well-known face on social media platforms, a major, and she has held the position of Deputy Adraee in the Arab Communications Division, affiliated with the Israeli Army Spokesperson's Unit since 2021.
Eila Owaiya's profile, or "Captain Eila," indicates that she is an Arab born on October 16, 1989, and she lives with her family in the Palestinian city of Qalansawe, according to Erem News.
What is her educational and academic background?
She received her education at "Future" school, finished high school there, but she graduated with honors in "Communications" from Netanya Academic College, and earned a master's degree with honors in "Management and Political Marketing" from the multidisciplinary Hertzliya Center.
In 2010, she founded the "Shared Life" project, an organization that worked to bring together Arabs and Jews for "creating understanding and coexistence between cultures."
How did she start her career in the media?
Before joining the military service in the Israeli Army, she was involved in the media field and worked as a broadcaster for two years at "Voice of Netanya" (affiliated with the National College in Netanya) through a program called "Sweeter in Arabic".
Despite being busy with traditional media work, her activity on Arab social media platforms did not stop until she gained significant fame on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
For a year in 2011, "Captain Eila" volunteered in the "national service at Meir Hospital" in the Kfar Saba area, and then volunteered for service in the Israeli Army in 2013, becoming the first recruit from the "Triangle Area," which includes the city of Qalansawe, her native city.
Due to the sensitivity of her volunteering in the Israeli military, she kept the step hidden from her family and everyone around her.
In 2015, she joined the officer's course at the premier Military Academy and obtained a Distinguished Service Medal from the President of Israel during her training.
After earning the rank of an officer, she returned to the Arab Department in the Division of the Israeli Army's Official Spokesperson, where she took the position of Deputy Chief of Arab Communications.
In 2018, she received the Distinguished Service Medal from the Head of Operations Department, General Aharon Haliva, who later became the head of the Military Intelligence Agency (AMAN).
At the end of 2019, she announced her military service and began producing "Captain Eila" educational videos about Israel and the Israeli Army for Arabic speakers.
What is her vision for the role of media in the conflict?
In an interview with "Captain Eila" during the "Security and Services" conference, organized by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper and the Institute for National Security Studies last July, she said: "The media arena is a battlefield. It is a war no less difficult than others."
She added: "When we remember October 7, 2023, we realize that Hamas elements raided Israel carrying cameras, aiming through that to change consciousness and build a circle of hatred. In the end, we expose the truth. We expose what the other side does and present our truth, and we do it bravely."
In an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, in July last year, "Captain Eila" mentioned that she does not care about criticisms from her Arab followers regarding her joining the Israeli Army, considering "fear of facing the truth as the motivator or driver behind the criticism."
