First Palestinian President Elected in Oxford Union’s History

Arwa Hanin Elrayess has been elected as the Oxford Union’s first Palestinian president for Trinity Term 2026. Her election follows the removal of former president-elect George Abaraonye, who was ousted after celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk on social media. Speaking after the results, Elrayess said, "I am grateful and humbled by the faith and trust the members of the Union have placed in my team and me... I look forward to serving the members of this society in Trinity Term 2026."

During a previous Union committee meeting on a no-confidence vote against Abaraonye, Elrayess had stated that, "Alumni are racist and are incapable of making a rational judgment," arguing that alumni should be disenfranchised. Gaza was also referenced in her manifesto, where she described the Union as "the only place where freedom is not just protected but encouraged," and said she had previously challenged a former Israeli spy and an IDF soldier standing mere feet away from her in Gaza.

Elrayess is also associated with a zero-budget documentary titled Heart of a Protest, which focuses on pro-Palestine demonstrations in London. Promotional material states that all funds raised will go to a family in Gaza. Elrayess was born between 2005 and 2007 and studied in Qatar, where her father has lived and worked since 2012.