Oxford Union President Said Hamas Would Be ‘Lauded as Heroes’
3rd June 2026
The Oxford Union president said Hamas would be “lauded as heroes” and claimed that their actions were “proportional”.
Arwa Elrayess also suggested that it was “quite rich” for people to “act shocked” by the October 7 atrocities, given the harsh treatment of Palestinians by Israel, according to leaked messages.
She made the remarks in a private WhatsApp group of around 100 students who were about to take up places at Oxford to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
Ms Elrayess faced calls to resign as president of the prestigious debating society on Tuesday night, and Oxford University was urged to launch an investigation.
It is the latest scandal to engulf the union, coming just months after its previous president was ousted following comments he made that appeared to celebrate the shooting of Charlie Kirk, the Right-wing US influencer.