Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Woman arrested on suspicion of gluing lock of Shabbat-flashpoint Jerusalem cafe
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Ultra-Orthodox protesters demonstrate against Cafe Basimta operating on Shabbat, the weekly Jewish day of rest, as secular activists stage a counter-protest in support of the cafe, in central Jerusalem, on August 15, 2026. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP)
Police announce the arrest yesterday of a 75-year-old woman who was recorded overnight Friday-Saturday allegedly gluing the lock of Jerusalem’s Basimta cafe, which Haredi men have picketed on weekends for the past two months for opening on Shabbat.
The damage to the lock delayed the cafe’s opening by roughly 40 minutes on Saturday.
The woman is allegedly involved in several other cases of damage to the cafe, including spraying graffiti and hurling trash at it.
The woman was brought today before the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, which released her with restrictions including a ban on approaching or entering the cafe, police say.
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