Sawt Falasteen - Cafe at centre of Israel culture clash agrees to shut on Sabbath

The coffeehouse opened in June near a neighbourhood of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who strictly shun working, exchanging money and using electricity on Saturdays.

Cafe Basimta had drawn increasingly heated protests, separated by police, as secular Israelis shouted down ultra-Orthodox protesters.

But the narrative became complicated as the business is run by Jews for Jesus, a group whose Christian proselytising is widely unwelcome among Jews.

"This is a difficult and painful decision that stems from a deep responsibility to our customers, our faith and Israeli society as a whole," said Eli Birnbaum, the Israel head of Jews for Jesus.

"The cafe has become a focus of friction and danger in recent months, a reality that contradicts our identity as Jews who believe in Jesus and our belief in loving others," he added in a statement.

Most but not all businesses in Jewish areas of Jerusalem are closed on Saturday but the Sabbath is observed differently around Israel, with much of largely secular Tel Aviv open.

Religious observance has become a key political faultline as Israel heads to October 27 elections, which polls show are tight.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government, which relies on ultra-Orthodox parties, supports an exemption for religious students from Israel's otherwise mandatory military service.

Many Israelis resent the exemption after nearly three years of war since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023.

Opposition leaders have vowed to end the exemption.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up 14.3 percent of Israel's population, according to the Israel Democracy Institute think tank, but have a much higher birthrate than secular Israelis.

I.Matar--SF-PST