The line stretching outside Caf\u00e9 Basimta on Agrippas Street in Jerusalem on Saturday, July 11, looked like more than a queue for coffee. After several weeks in which the newly opened business became a focus of ultra-Orthodox protests, customers and residents from across the city arrived to support its owners and its continued operation on Shabbat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footage from the scene showed customers filling the inner courtyard and waiting at the entrance. Some came after calls of support circulated on social media, while others said they wanted to send a clear message: protest must not turn into harassment of customers or an attempt to force a business in central Jerusalem to close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caf\u00e9 Basimta opened several weeks ago at 8 Agrippas Street, near King George Street, in an area where other businesses also operate on Saturdays. Over recent weeks, groups of ultra-Orthodox protesters have arrived outside the caf\u00e9, shouted \u201cShabbat,\u201d banged on its windows and attempted to deter customers. During one incident, reports also described an overturned table and stones being thrown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Border Police officers arrived in the area again this Saturday to prevent clashes and maintain public order. This time, however, the protesters were met with a different scene: the caf\u00e9 was crowded, and some customers stood near the entrance to make clear that they intended to keep returning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One customer who arrived at the caf\u00e9 explained: \u201cWe saw what had been happening here over the past few weeks and decided not to leave the owners on their own. People have every right to observe Shabbat, but they do not have the right to decide for every resident of Jerusalem. Let the ultra-Orthodox complain – we will keep coming here, drinking coffee and voting with our feet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nofar, a resident of Ein Kerem, said she came specifically after seeing a call for support online: \u201cI saw the Facebook post, and of course we came to support them. People shouted at us, but that will not deter us. A place like this must be preserved, because Jerusalem has very few options like it on Saturdays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael, a resident of Beit Hakerem, added: \u201cWe welcome and support this caf\u00e9, and every place that opens on Shabbat makes us happy. The footage was shared in our neighborhood groups, and many families decided to come. Our support matters, especially when people are trying to intimidate business owners.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The confrontation around the caf\u00e9 is no longer seen only as a local dispute. It reflects the broader tension between ultra-Orthodox and secular communities in Jerusalem, at a time when protests against military enlistment for ultra-Orthodox men are already deepening divisions. Some residents fear that repeated clashes over Shabbat, conscription and the character of public space could widen Israel\u2019s internal civil rift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Supporters of the caf\u00e9 argue, however, that a strong public presence, alongside firm policing, may help prevent escalation. For them, the long line seen outside the venue on Saturday was not merely a business success, but a statement about the character of Jerusalem and the right of its residents to choose how they spend their day of rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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