Protesters hold a counter-demonstration in support of the Basimta cafe in central Jerusalem, August 29, 2026. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)
Images show ultra-Orthodox men protesting at central Jerusalem’s Basimta cafe for the ninth straight week, as Haredi demonstrations continue against the cafe operating on Shabbat.
There is also a counter-protest in support of the cafe.
The protests against Basimta began on July 4, when dozens of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators, many of them minors, gathered outside the cafe in several waves, banging on its windows and, according to staff, overturning tables.
On another occasion, dozens of Haredi men burst through barricades and tried to force their way inside. Earlier this month, a woman glued the cafe’s lock, causing a brief delay in its opening.
The recently opened cafe has become a point of tension in Jerusalem, where few cafes operate on Shabbat. 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.
Ultra-Orthodox protesters demonstrate against a cafe operating on Shabbat in central Jerusalem, August 29, 2026. (Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90)
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