Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson for the Arab world, Ella Waweya, says its mission is to show the planet the horror of the terrorist group Hamas so that the events of October 7 in Israel are never forgotten. “Arabs, Muslims and Christians, everyone must remember this date because what happened here was a massacre the likes of which I have never seen,” she tells the column.
The 34yearold major is the first Muslim woman of Arab origin to reach the command post in the entire history of the Israeli army. Born and raised in the Israeli village of Qalansuwa, Waweya enlisted in secret and kept her military activities secret from her family for more than a year. When she discovered the secret, her mother threw away her uniform. Today, he says, he is proud of his daughter.
The major’s fight is not taking place directly in Gaza, but on social networks and in the media.
In this exclusive interview with the column, conducted via video conference from Tel Aviv, she said she was proud of the work of the Israeli Defense Forces and held Hamas responsible for the deaths of children and civilians amid the confrontation’s devastation in the Gaza Strip.
Read key excerpts from Major Ella Waweya’s statement below.
The UN describes the total siege of the Gaza Strip and the forced relocation of the population as violations of international criminal law. Bombings hit civilians and former US President Barack Obama said this could lead to difficulties in supporting Israel. What do you feel inside when you see these Palestinians being killed, children dying in collapsing buildings?
I am very proud to serve in the Army. Before attacking, Israeli forces constantly warn Gazans that they must leave the places they are attacking.
Hamas uses people as human shields. It is a terrorist group that controls its population and does everything to prevent them from leaving their location, even when they know an attack is imminent.
When Hamas invaded Israel and massacred the people, they gave no warning. He came in to kill.
The difference between the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas is that we follow this code of conduct [mostra um objeto]. It is written about man’s honor, man’s life, how one behaves towards others.
Already in Hamas we literally find written instructions on how to kill Jews, how to massacre children, how to sharpen knives and take their hearts.
We released a call between a terrorist who was here in Israel and his father. He takes the phone number of the person he murdered, calls his father and says: “Father, I have killed more than ten Jews with my own hands. Now I’m talking to you from the phone number of a Jewish woman, she and her husband were murdered by me.
Women in Gaza must understand, raise their children and stay pregnant for nine months. And why do they do that? Do they create and educate so that they can then kill and rape people? I’m 1,000% sure that’s not the case.
There is no mother who raises her son so that he can be a murderer or die. And we as women cannot legitimize that.
These women want a better world for their children, and Hamas is preventing this from happening.
OCTOBER 7TH
I was just coming back from New York when everything happened. It’s obvious that my life has changed, just like everyone else’s.
Arabs, Muslims and Christians, everyone must remember this date, because what happened here was a massacre the likes of which I have never seen. A misfortune that cannot happen in any country, in any nation.
My mission is to tell the world what happened on the 7th so that everyone remembers it and never forgets it. The Jewish people cannot go through what happened in the past again.
A MUSLIM ARAB IN THE ISRAELI ARMY
I am a Muslim Arab who joined the army as a volunteer. As a Muslim, I was under no obligation to come forward.
I grew up in the village of Qalansuwa and to some we were Arab Israelis. For others, Palestinians.
When I turned 16, like every Israeli, I received my identity card. Then I made an inner decision: “To be a real Israeli, I have to come forward.” [pensou]. It was a question of identity.
Hamas uses people as human shields. When he came to Israel and massacred the people, he gave no warning. Came in to kill
My personal dilemma was exacerbated during the Second Intifada, when everything I saw and heard about the Israeli army through media outlets such as Al Jazeera and other Arabic channels was very bad. It didn’t make sense to me to live with other people and see a different reality in Israel.
I started thinking, “Who am I?”
[Havia] an iconic photo from the Second Intifada of 12yearold Muhammad alDurrah, killed and carried by his father [as Forças de Defesa de Israel admitiram ter matado Muhammad, mas o relato foi alterado semanas depois. Em 2013, um comitê criado pelo então primeiroministro de Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, concluiu não haver evidências contra as IDF e afirmou que a narrativa tinha viés antissemita. O cinegrafista Talal Abu Rahma, que filmou o assassinato, sustenta até hoje que “a câmera não mente”]. It was widely publicized in the Arab press. Muhammad was my age then.
DISCOVERY
At 19, I didn’t know that I could join the army as a Muslim. I started studying communication. I wanted to become a journalist to show a different side of Israel.
I attended a journalism conference in Eilat [sul do país]. One of the panelists said that ultrareligious people should not serve in the army, but should only study the Torah [por lei, eles são dispensados do serviço militar].
I still remember the sentence I said: “What a shame to say that! If I had the opportunity as a Muslim, I would come forward.” I was 21 years old and everyone present applauded me. They came to greet me.
At that moment I realized I could sign up and I took all the steps.
I began serving when I was 24 years old. For personal reasons, I didn’t tell my family.
“TRAITOR” OF THE ARAB
Not all Arabs here are Palestinians. My relatives are Egyptian on my mother’s side and Syrian on my father’s side. It’s important to say that.
It is not common or customary for Arabs, especially women, to enlist. And when I look back, the situation of the Arabs 20 years ago was much more primitive than it is today. Even when I was studying communications and living in Netanya [cidade ao norte de Tel Aviv]My decision to leave my home and go to the middle of the country was very difficult for me as a woman and as an Arab.
I was the first person from my town to join the army. It was difficult to do anything other than what was usual for the residents of Qalansuwa, whether male or female.
Studying and enrolling abroad was not common. It’s not like today, where many Arabs are in the army and studying. Back then, especially after the Second Intifada, it was rare. What I did was practically a traitor.
On the first day [de Exército], everyone arrives with their parents, gets on the bus and waves to them out the window. I was the only one who was alone, with no family members. In the beginning I was a lonely soldier [nome dado àqueles que servem em Israel e não têm a família por perto ou para dar suporte].
My parents asked me, “Where are you?” Why don’t you come home anymore?” I said, “I’m studying and working.” I don’t regret those days or my decision.
FRONTAL
My mother didn’t take it well [a major conta que sua mãe chegou a jogar seu uniforme militar fora após descobrilo]. She fought with me in the room so that not even my father could hear her screams.
Today, the person who pinned this major’s badge to my uniform was my own mother. She was embarrassed at first, but now she walks down the street with her head held high. And she herself tells me: “Stay in the army until you retire, or as long as you want.”
It is a war, but we are doing everything we can to prevent lives being lost on both sides
Until four or five years ago, my mother told her friends that I was a military journalist to “tone down” my work. Today she proudly says that I am a major and captain of a unit in the Israeli army.
Some people may not have seen me positively, but I opened doors for them in my city to follow in my footsteps. Today there are many people in Qalansuwa who have come forward. One of them was once my physics teacher. I am very proud that some people from my city and my region followed.
I used to not wear my uniform when I came home, but now I wear it with my head held high.
I, speaker
I receive a lot of solidarity on Twitter, Instagram and other platforms. But of course there is criticism. It really depends on what part of the Arab world we are talking about, it is very large. I receive a lot of support from Algeria.
Most people I talk to online have never been to Israel. So my goal today, and yours as a journalist, should be to show the truth about the Israeli Defense Forces and the State of Israel. This is how people learn the truth about Israel and its army.
Translation by Ayala Kalnicki Volume