Elham Asaad Buaras
The Oxford Union, one of the world’s most prestigious university societies, has on November 30, elected a Palestinian woman as president for the first time in its history.
Arwa Hanin Elrayess will lead the union during the Trinity (summer) term of 2026 after securing 757 first-preference votes, 150 more than her closest rival. Turnout for the election was 1,528, significantly higher than in the previous term, according to Oxford Student.
Elrayess, a philosophy, politics, and economics student at St Edmund’s Hall, expressed her gratitude following the announcement. She told Oxford Student: “I am grateful and humbled by the faith and trust the members of the Union have placed in me and my team. I want to thank all those who put aside their differences and came together to work towards a shared vision of this Union, which we all adore. I look forward to serving the members of this society in Trinity Term 2026.”
Beyond her academic and union work, Elrayess has been involved in producing the documentary Heart of a Protest, which highlights pro-Palestine demonstrations in London. A post on Instagram promoting the film, shared on Elrayess’ account, describes it as: “The film follows a powerful wave of pro-Palestine protests that emerged in the wake of Israel’s assault on Gaza. This documentary is a complete zero-budget film, made by five people who care about what’s been going on since 1947.”
Founded in 1823, the Oxford Union is one of the UK’s oldest and most renowned student societies. It is known for hosting high-profile speakers, competitive debates, and public speaking workshops.
Elrayess’ election follows a turbulent period in Union leadership, marked by two no-confidence votes in recent presidents. President Moosa Harraj survived a vote in late October, shortly after president-elect George Abaraonye lost a similar vote over controversial comments about the death of American conservative figure Charlie Kirk. Abaraonye had posted on Instagram at the time,”Charlie Kirk got shot loool.”
He later told the BBC that the vote had been “compromised,” claiming that opponents had “unsupervised access” to an email account collecting proxy ballots.
Elrayess’ historic election signals a milestone not only for the Oxford Union but also for greater representation of Arab women in global academic and political spaces.
Feature photo: Arwa Hanin Elrayess, the first Arab woman elected President of the Oxford Union, will lead the prestigious student society during Trinity Term 2026. (Credit: Oxford Union)
