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…
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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