Oxford Union elects Palestinian-origin student as its president

A first in its 202-year history, Oxford Union, one of the United Kingdom’s most prestigious university societies, has appointed a Palestinian-origin student as its president.

Arwa Hanin Elrayess, a Palestinian-Algerian student of philosophy, economics, and politics at St. Edmund Hall constituent college, is set to lead the renowned student union for the



Trinity (summer) Term of 2026.

Elrayess won with 150 more first-preference votes than runner-up Liza Barkova, totalling 757 votes. The turnout was 1528, remarkably higher than last year’s election.

Elrayess previously worked in the production of Heart of a Protest, a documentary focused on pro-Palestinian protests held in London.