Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson for roughly two decades, is set to retire, according to Israeli Army Radio. Reporter Doron Kadosh wrote that there is “currently no timeline” for his departure while discussions continue with IDF spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin on timing and a successor.
Across Arabic-language media, the news landed quickly and with sharply different tones. Asharq Al-Awsat offered a long profile-style recap of Adraee’s 20 years as a highly visible face to Arabic audiences, noting his roots in Unit 8200 and the IDF’s increasing use of his social accounts to broadcast evacuation maps and “pre-strike” warnings. The paper also reported that the army will choose a replacement in the coming months.
By contrast, The New Arab described Adraee as “infamous for his threats, evacuation warnings and bad-taste humour,” saying he became a symbol of fear for civilians from Gaza to Lebanon as his posts multiplied after October 2023. The outlet also cited Army Radio’s line that no date has been set for his exit.
Sky News Arabia treated the development as a straight news brief but underlined why Adraee mattered regionally: the IDF’s Arabic messaging strategy, which relied on social platforms to push evacuation instructions and what the channel called “operational media,” drew both attention and criticism as psychological warfare.
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed’s Arabic edition similarly framed him as “the face of the army” to the Arab world, emphasizing his role in issuing evacuation orders before strikes and noting that his formal retirement date could still take months as a replacement is selected.
Adraee’s daily presence during the past two years made him a household name
Regional outlets reiterated the storyline with local angles. Lebanon’s MTV said Adraee’s daily presence during the past two years made him a household name, focusing on his maps and pre-attack alerts and linking the method to an Israeli bid to show compliance with international law. Jordan’s Roya News and Al-Ghad highlighted that the IDF is already vetting successors, with Maariv reporting that several candidates are being camera-tested.
On social media, mainstream newsroom accounts amplified the update while users mixed celebration and sarcasm. Erem News posted that Adraee would wrap up service within months, while MTV Lebanon News pushed a “breaking” alert to followers. Jordan’s Al-Ghad used a blunt headline calling him Israel’s “propaganda mouthpiece” to the Arab public.