For the sixth week, Haredi protesters, police clash outside Jerusalem cafe open on Shabbat
Police set up barricades to prevent a recurrence of demonstrators forcing their way into Basimta cafe; hundreds of secular activists rally in support
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Dozens of ultra-Orthodox men clashed with police outside central Jerusalem’s Basimta cafe on Saturday for the sixth straight week as Haredi demonstrations against the cafe operating on Shabbat continued.
Police were deployed in advance and maintained a wider perimeter around the cafe than on previous Saturdays to prevent a repeat of the chaotic scenes seen last week, when protesters tried to force their way into the cafe itself. There were no reports of injuries or arrests.
Haredi protesters could be seen yelling “Shabbos,” and threw eggs toward the cafe area before being pushed back by police, as the secular counter-protesters chanted, “Shabbat belongs to all of us,” according to the footage broadcast on Channel 12.
Secular activists, including Yair Golan and members of his left-leaning Democrats party, had flocked to Basimta on Saturday to form a human chain to keep Haredi protesters from approaching the cafe, footage on X showed.
Hebrew media reported that some people standing on porches near Basimta lobbed plastic bags full of water at secular people who came to the cafe.
The confrontations began on July 4, when dozens of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators, many reportedly minors, gathered outside the cafe in several waves, banging on its windows and, according to staff, overturning tables.
Tensions peaked last Saturday when dozens of Haredi men burst through barricades and tried to force their way inside.
היערכות מוקדמת בכוחות מתוגברים של המשטרה מונעת כניסה של חרדים שהגיעו ל"קפה בסמטה" בירושלים, זו השבת השישית ברציפות. מפגינים חילונים ופעילים מארגונים שונים הגיעו השבת בכמות גדולה מהרגיל. מפגינים חרדים זרקו מים וביצים מהמרפסות pic.twitter.com/elecFlOZ21
— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) August 8, 2026
The recently opened cafe has become a point of tension in Jerusalem, where few cafes operate on Shabbat. Police on Thursday announced the arrest of a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of having hurled a bag of feces at Basimta.
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.
The Times of Israel Community.