The Besimta café, which opened about a month ago on Agrippas Street in central Jerusalem, has become the focus of growing controversy following a Shabbat protest and new claims regarding its ownership.
Dozens of haredi demonstrators gathered outside the café last Saturday to protest its decision to remain open on Shabbat. The incident initially appeared to be another dispute over Sabbath commerce, but an audio recording obtained by Arutz Sheva-Israel National News has shifted attention to the café's reported ties to the Messianic organization Jews for Jesus.
According to the recording, members of the anti-missionary organization Or LeAchim questioned café owner Yoel Ben-David about the venue's ownership and its connection to Messianic Jewish activity.
During the conversation, Ben-David reportedly said the café is owned by a limited company called "Ariel 23," adding that while the business itself belongs to the company, "the company belongs to Jews for Jesus." He later clarified that Ariel 23 is a standard limited company but said its shares are owned by the organization.
According to publicly available company information cited in the report, Ariel 23 is registered at the same address as the Jews for Jesus offices in Tel Aviv.
Responding to the report, Ben-David criticized the manner in which the inquiry was conducted, saying the caller falsely identified himself as a journalist from a New York newspaper.
"It is already known that we operate cafés such as Café Nachmani in Tel Aviv, whose connection to the Messianic faith has been widely reported," Ben-David said. "The protesters did not come because we are Messianic, but because we are open on Shabbat. Any attempt to shift the discussion to my faith or the association's beliefs will not help calm the situation and could even encourage serious violence by extremists."
Or LeAchim rejected that characterization, accusing the café of deliberately concealing its affiliation with the missionary movement.
In a statement, the organization said the café was not simply a local business but was established and financed by a company owned by Jews for Jesus, which it described as a missionary organization. Or LeAchim alleged that the venue serves as a platform for missionary outreach in the heart of a religious Jerusalem neighborhood.
The organization further claimed that presenting the controversy solely as a dispute over Shabbat observance misled both the public and the media, arguing that the café's religious affiliation was intentionally downplayed. It also urged media outlets and the public to scrutinize the café's ownership and activities before accepting what it described as a misleading narrative surrounding the protests.