'Result of haredi terror': Jerusalem's Basimta Cafe to close on Shabbat after weeks of protests
“Now we are asking to return Basimta Cafe to what it was intended to be: a calm, pleasant and open place for coffee, culture and dialogue,” said the CEO of Jews for Jesus, Eli Birnbaum.
Jerusalem's Basimta Cafe announced its decision to close on Saturdays following weeks of protests by haredi (ultra-Orthodox) demonstrators against its Shabbat operations. The cafe's management stated this was a "difficult and painful decision" made with a "deep responsibility toward our customers, our faith and Israeli society as a whole," as the establishment had become a "focal point of friction and danger."
- Protests began in early July, with haredi demonstrators surrounding the cafe, banging on windows, and overturning tables.
- In August, barricades were set up to prevent entry, and a 75-year-old man was arrested for vandalism.
- Politicians, including The Democrats chair Yair Golan and Yisrael Beytenu leader MK Avigdor Liberman, condemned the closure, calling it a "result of haredi terror" and vowing to protect the freedom of businesses to open on Shabbat.
- Secular Israelis have also held counter-protests in support of the cafe.
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