Ismail Patel

Ismail Patel (born 1962) is a British optician, and founder of Friends of Al-Aqsa, an NGO based in Leicester.

He is an advisory board member of the Conflicts Forum, director of IslamExpo, and a member of the Special Advisory Board of Clear Conscience.

He writes commentary for The Guardian, The Independent, Aljazeera English and Arabian Business.

Gaza flotilla

Patel joined the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and was on board the MV Mavi Marmara.

He was held by Israel for just under 48 hours and then deported to Turkey. He flew back to London Heathrow, and gave a press conference with Alex Harrison and Daniel Machover. Patel states he witnessed at extremely close range the shooting of two of the ten killed by the Israel Defense Forces in their raid at sea on the MV Mavi Marmara.

Personal life He is the brother of Shockat Adam, the pro-Gaza independent MP for Leicester South since the 2024 United Kingdom general election.