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Ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews, who follow a strict interpretation of Jewish law and make up around 14% of Israel's population, pressed on with their protest on Saturday against Cafe Basimta, which opens on Shabbat, the day on which Judaism forbids work.
Israeli police again deployed intensive security measures in the area to prevent Haredim from storming the cafe, as they had done in previous weeks. The protests have now run for seven weeks.
Haredi protesters shouted threatening slogans at customers entering the cafe, telling them they were sinning and would be punished with death.
Meanwhile, a group of left-leaning activists gathered nearby in support of the business owner, holding signs in English and Hebrew reading “It is our sacred right to drink coffee,” and the two groups came face to face.
Similar attacks have hit cafes and other businesses in recent months, particularly in Jerusalem, where unidentified assailants set them alight for staying open on Shabbat.
Basimta has become a flashpoint between Haredim and secular Israelis in West Jerusalem, where most businesses close on Shabbat.
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