Cafe Basimta in Jerusalem’s Nahlaot neighborhood, run by Jews for Jesus, announced it will close on Saturdays after two months of weekly ultra-Orthodox demonstrations that escalated into clashes, vandalism and counterprotests.
Cafe Basimta, operated by Jews for Jesus, will no longer open on Saturdays to reduce tensions after nine consecutive weeks of protests.
The closure highlights ongoing conflict in Jerusalem over public Shabbat observance and prompted municipal and political reactions.
# What happened
Cafe Basimta, a coffee shop in Jerusalem's Nahlaot neighborhood that is run by the messianic organization Jews for Jesus, announced it will stop opening on Saturdays beginning this weekend. The decision followed about two months of weekly ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) protests against the cafe operating on Shabbat.
# Why the cafe closed on Saturdays
The cafe said the move was made "after prolonged deliberation and with a heavy heart," citing a desire to lower tensions and restore calm. Eli Birnbaum, CEO of Jews for Jesus, called it a "difficult and painful decision" and framed it as a responsibility to customers, the organization's faith and Israeli society. He wrote that the cafe had become "a focal point of friction and danger," which conflicted with their stated identity and aims of respect and dialogue.
# What the protests involved
The first demonstration took place July 4 and continued weekly through August 29. Early protests saw dozens of demonstrators, many minors, surround the cafe, bang on windows and overturn tables. Later incidents included protesters breaking through police barricades, attempts to reach the cafe, a bag containing feces thrown at the entrance and glue found in a front-door lock that delayed opening on one occasion.
# Political and civic reactions
Public figures visited or supported the cafe during the protests. Avigdor Liberman, leader of Yisrael Beytenu, criticized the closure on social media, saying the decision showed growing religious coercion and sarcastically noting the inconsistency of permitting violence on Shabbat while banning coffee. Yair Golan, head of the Democratic Party and former IDF deputy chief of staff, called the closure "the result of haredi terror."
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Adir Schwartz, head of the pluralist Hitorerut municipal faction, criticized the cafe's decision and said his faction was exploring ways to operate a cafe on Saturdays in response. A Jews for Jesus spokesperson said any such initiative would be unrelated to the organization.
# Broader tensions
# Immediate consequences and framing
# What to watch next
The eatery said Thursday that the decision was made “after prolonged deliberation and with a heavy heart." -- The post Jerusalem cafe bows to Haredi protests, will no longer open on Shabbat appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency .
Cafe Basimta is operated by Jews for Jesus in Jerusalem's city center. The protests have reignited Jerusalem's long-running battles over public observance of Shabbat after years of relative calm
The demonstrations against the cafe began following a revelation that the the eatery is an official Jews for Jesus project, a movement seen as controversial amongst mainstream Judaism.
“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.
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