Ultra-Orthodox Protest Coffee Shop Operating on Sabbath in Jerusalem

On Saturday morning, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews protested outside the newly opened "Basemta" coffee shop near the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, which was operating during the Sabbath. The protesters surrounded the café and knocked on its windows to pressure the owners to close, leading to verbal exchanges between the demonstrators and the customers inside. One customer described how the crowd suddenly appeared and began banging on the glass to intimidate those inside.

Some secular customers responded by shouting "Shebas," a term used to assert their right to a free Sabbath, highlighting the tension between religious and secular views on public life in Jerusalem. One attendee expressed that while the ultra-Orthodox have their religious Sabbath, secular citizens have their own free Sabbath, and called for reducing government funding to the ultra-Orthodox sector to shift power dynamics. He also encouraged the public to support the coffee shop.

This incident adds to ongoing clashes in Jerusalem over the character of public spaces. Recently, dozens of ultra-Orthodox protesters demonstrated on Bar Ilan Street against light rail construction, reflecting persistent tensions between different community groups seeking to influence the city's identity.