Jerusalem cafe to close every Saturday after Haredi protests — Jerusalem Post
The management of the Basimta cafe in Jerusalem has decided not to operate every Saturday amid weekly protests by Haredim — members of the ultra-Orthodox community — against the establishment operating on Shabbat. As reported by The Jerusalem Post, the cafe described the decision as painful, as the establishment has become a focal point of tension in recent months.
The cafe management’s position
Eli Birnbaum, CEO of the Jews for Jesus organization, said the decision was made out of responsibility toward visitors, their own faith, and Israeli society. According to him, the cafe had become a place of conflict and danger, which contradicts the establishment’s values — respect for others and the desire to bring people closer together, including opponents.
Birnbaum thanked the police, the Jerusalem municipality, and the people who supported the cafe in recent weeks. He said the establishment seeks to once again be a calm, pleasant, and open place for coffee, culture, and dialogue.
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Protests and political reaction
According to the publication, protests outside Basimta Cafe began on July 4. At that time, dozens of demonstrators, many of whom were reportedly minors, surrounded the building in four waves, banged on windows, and overturned tables.
On August 22, protesters, according to surveillance camera footage, set up barricades around the cafe in an attempt to prevent visitors from entering. Also in August, police arrested a 75-year-old man after he, according to The Jerusalem Post, spray-painted the establishment, damaged a lock, and threw garbage at the cafe.
Yair Golan, head of the Democrats party, called the cafe’s Saturday closure a consequence of “Haredi terror.” Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a Knesset member, for his part criticized the situation, saying that in Israel in 2026 drinking coffee on Shabbat is allegedly prohibited, while hatred, attacks, and riots remain permitted. Counter-protests by secular Israelis were also held in support of the cafe; Lieberman joined the establishment’s supporters in August.
