Liberman Joins Supporters as Ultra‑Orthodox Protesters Target Jerusalem’s Basimta Café for Fifth Weekend

The Basimta café in central Jerusalem faced a fifth consecutive Saturday of protests after the owners decided to keep the business open on Shabbat, drawing clashes between ultra‑Orthodox demonstrators and supporters of the shop.

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman attended the demonstration to stand with patrons and condemn the protesters. According to i24NEWS reporter Li Ayish, several demonstrators began pounding on the café’s windows and some breached police barriers in attempts to reach the entrance.

Customers inside answered the disturbance by chanting, "Enlist, enlist," while patrons and local residents who had gathered to support the café attempted to block protesters from advancing. Witnesses described the commotion as chaotic; one customer said, "The noise sounded like a herd. Confrontations began at the scene." Police intervened but were reported to have struggled to keep protesters behind their lines.

Earlier weeks of protest have included aggressive incidents: during a prior demonstration someone threw a bag containing feces at the café, and hundreds have gathered on some Saturdays to support the owners' decision to remain open on Shabbat.

Yoel Ben David, owner of the "Basimta" cafe, which was attacked by extremist ultra-Orthodox Jews after opening on Sabbath, poses for a portrait at his cafe in central Jerusalem, on July 6, 2026. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Political Reactions

Liberman condemned the actions and framed the dispute as misplaced energy. "I believe above all in the principle of live and let live. Drinking coffee on a Saturday morning cannot become an act of civic courage," he said. He added that demonstrators' energies should be directed at external security threats rather than local civilians, naming Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis as examples. He also said that if his party comes to power, those demonstrators would be required to serve in the military: "When we come to power, they will not have time to demonstrate here. Everyone will be running through basic training!"

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats Party, said his activists physically shielded customers and accused police of failing to protect the public. "The police are once again abandoning the liberal public," he said, calling for firmer enforcement of the law to prevent intimidation.

Owner Seeks Coexistence

Basimta owner Yoel Ben David told Maariv he respects the religious community and does not hate haredim. He said both communities should be free to observe Shabbat in their own way: "I want them to be able to pray in peace, for us to be able to drink our coffee in peace, and for all of us to succeed in living here together in harmony."

Ben David also described receiving support from some religious residents: a group of kippah‑wearing neighbors from the Baka neighborhood came to the café to show solidarity, and several visitors apologized on behalf of the haredi community. He said the café has also been backed by Jerusalem’s secular and liberal residents, who defend the right of businesses to operate without intimidation.

"If it can happen in Tel Aviv or Haifa, why not in Jerusalem?" Ben David asked.

The situation highlights tensions in Jerusalem over secular and religious norms, and the row over Basimta’s opening on Shabbat has become a flashpoint between competing visions of public life.