Door to Jerusalem cafe open on Shabbat vandalized as Haredim protest for 7th week
Dozens of ultra-Orthodox men demonstrated Saturday outside the Basimta cafe in central Jerusalem, the seventh straight week of protests against the establishment for operating on Shabbat.
Counter-protesters from the Pink Front organization were also present, holding signs declaring the “Holy right to drink coffee” and “We will die rather than drink instant,” a play on a slogan used by Haredi men protesting against being conscripted into military.
Across from them, the Haredi demonstrators repeatedly cried out “Shabbos,” with police officers standing between the rival groups.
There were no reports of arrests.
The weekly protest came after the cafe’s opening was delayed by some 40 minutes, as staff struggled to enter the premises after an individual apparently glued the lock overnight, according to security camera footage released by Israeli television.
The culprit — who appeared to be a woman — could be seen wearing a hat, as well as a face mask to disguise their identity.
אישה תועדה מורחת דבק על מנעול "קפה בסמטה" הבוקר בירושלים. המעשה גרם לעיכוב בפתיחת בית הקפה. בשבועות האחרונים מתנהל מאבק סביב החלטת מנהלי בית הקפה לפתוח את המקום בשבת@VeredPelman https://t.co/Zzwqq9pP05 pic.twitter.com/cn7h6Ta0jc
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 15, 2026
Yesh Atid MK Vladimir Beliak visited the cafe later Saturday in a show of support, saying that Jerusalem residents have a right to both observe Shabbat and buy a coffee on the Jewish day of rest.
“We will not give up on the liberal public sphere,” he wrote in a post on X.
MK Avigdor Liberman, who heads the right-wing secularist Yisrael Beytenu party, also expressed support for Basimta, similarly saying that Israelis have the right to both pray at synagogue and drink coffee at cafe on Shabbat.
“Freedom of choice, without coercion,” Liberman tweeted. “Live and let live.”
שבת ב״בסמטה״ בירושלים.
הסיפור סביב ״בסמטה״ די פשוט: זכותם של תושבי ירושלים לשמור שבת, זכותם של תושבי ירושלים אחרים לבלות ולשתות קפה בשבת.כך זה אמור לעבוד, וכך זה יהיה.לא נוותר על המרחב הציבורי הליברלי. pic.twitter.com/TnzC093XgM
— MK Vladimir Beliak ולדימיר בליאק????️ (@VladimirBeliak) August 15, 2026
The protests against Basimta began on July 4, when dozens of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators, many of them minors, gathered outside the cafe in several waves, banging on its windows and, according to staff, overturning tables. On another occasion, dozens of Haredi men burst through barricades and tried to force their way inside.
The recently opened cafe has become a point of tension in Jerusalem, where few cafes operate on Shabbat. The dispute was also complicated by revelations that Cafe Basimta is an official project of Jews for Jesus, a Christian missionary organization that seeks to convert Jews to believe in Jesus. Yoel Ben David, the cafe’s operator, is the group’s top official in Jerusalem.
The connection has caused unease among some secular supporters who rallied in support of the cafe. Hapoel Jerusalem, the Israeli soccer team, withdrew an offer of free advertising for the business after learning of its affiliation, while maintaining its support for the cafe’s freedom to operate.
The clashes come amid broader tensions between Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community and the secular public over the issue of Haredi military service. Recent months have seen repeated demonstrations against the enlistment and arrest of ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers, including violent protests in Jerusalem.
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The Basimta cafe in central Jerusalem faced its seventh consecutive week of protests from dozens of ultra-Orthodox men on Saturday, who oppose its operation on Shabbat. The cafe's opening was delayed by 40 minutes after security camera footage showed an individual, appearing to be a woman, gluing the lock overnight. Counter-protesters from the Pink Front organization also demonstrated, advocating for the "Holy right to drink coffee." Yesh Atid MK Vladimir Beliak and Yisrael Beytenu MK Avigdor Liberman visited the cafe to show support, emphasizing the right of Jerusalem residents to both observe Shabbat and enjoy coffee. The protests, which began on July 4, have included incidents of demonstrators banging on windows and attempting to force entry. The situation is further complicated by the revelation that Cafe Basimta is a project of Jews for Jesus, a Christian missionary organization, causing unease among some secular supporters.
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