In a historic moment for the world-famous Oxford Union, Arwa Hanin Elrayess, has been elected president, becoming the first Palestinian woman ever to lead the 200-year-old debating society.
Elrayess was elected to lead the union for the Trinity (summer) term in 2026, after she secured 757 votes, 150 more than the runner-up.
According to The Oxford Student, the University of Oxford’s student-run newspaper, the voter turnout was 1,528, a considerably higher number than previous terms at the university.
Celebrating the historic result, Elrayess, who studies philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE), and belongs to the St Edmund Hall college, told The 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.”
The Oxford Union was first established in 1823 and is considered to be one of the UK’s oldest university societies.
It is often the site of debate with high-profile speakers and viral personalities, as well as public speaking and debating workshops.
Smear-campaigns and challenges
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Speaking to Middle East Eye, Elrayess said that whilst she is delighted with the outcome of the vote, she is still facing many challenges regarding the election result.
Elrayess is not the first Arab president to have faced similar challenges, as her predecessor Ebrahim Osman Mowafy, the first Arab president of the Union, went through a long period of litigation leading to his disqualification from office.
Mowafy, a final-year law student from Egypt, was later reinstated as the first Arab president of the Union last year, following the reversal of the decision to disqualify him from office.
Following her presidential campaign, Elrayess was subject to a smear campaign by Zionist media outlets.
“I always knew when I was going into my presidential campaign that I would face the very predictable challenges of having my identity weaponised against me,” Elrayess told Middle East Eye.
“I had people call me an extremist. I had people call me an anti-Semite,” she said.
Elrayess also said that people who wanted to run on her campaign were warned not to, over fears that they would be placed on counter-terrorism watchlists.
Mowafy, the Arab president last year, said challenges he faced were similar, but that he was ultimately able to prevail above them.
Elrayess has also been involved in the production of a documentary called Heart of a Protest, which focused on protests in London in solidarity with Palestinians.
“This documentary is a complete zero-budget film, made by five people who care about what’s been going on since 1947.”
