Ultra-Orthodox Target Jerusalem Store After Cafe Capitulates to Protest Pressure

Following the decision by Jerusalem's "Kafé Basemta" (The Alley Cafe) to close on Saturdays due to ultra-Orthodox pressure, the community is now targeting another business. The Gur Hasidic sect announced it will hold a protest this coming Saturday in front of a "Mini Kitchens" store that operates on the Sabbath.

"Kafé Basemta" announced its closure on Saturdays starting this week, after two months of intense friction with ultra-Orthodox protesters. The cafe, managed by the organization "Jews for Jesus," aimed to serve secular residents of Jerusalem on weekends. However, protests escalated to violence and vandalism, prompting the management to cease weekend operations to de-escalate tensions and restore peace to the area.

The two-month conflict also involved blockades of buses carrying passengers to Jerusalem on Saturday afternoons near the city entrance. Protesters forced passengers to disembark before reaching their final destinations. The article notes that the cafe's closure was preceded by anonymous acts, such as a bag of feces being left near the establishment.