Playing Right Into the Hands of the Enemy

27 Tammuz 5786

Nachlaot is not what it used to be.  It was my home from 2002 until 2012, except for one year when I lived in Talbiya.  It had the Old Jerusalem charm while being the most affordable neighborhood in the center of town and right on the doorstep of the Mahane Yehudah market.  But, when it ceased to be all Jewish and foreign workers began renting in the area, the missionaries were not far behind.

The place of winding pedestrian pathways framed in hanging vines and baskets of flowers against weathered stone and archways on this Shabbat was the scene of a murder and a public battle over an open cafe.

 

Second Weekend of Clashes: Ultra-Orthodox
Extremists Protest at Jerusalem Cafe
(WARNING on some images: Turn on auto-dub for English voice-over.)

I know the chareidi protesters mean well, but their actions have actually increased the Shabbat desecration and what's more, it has brought money and publicity pouring into the endeavor. This is a missionary's dream come true. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain from this attention.

The following information comes directly from the Google AI Gemini...

Yoel Ben David is a Jerusalem-born entrepreneur who recently gained significant local attention as the owner and founder of Cafe BaSimta. 

He identifies deeply as a Jerusalemite. He has expressed publicly that he opened the cafe out of personal frustration regarding the lack of secular, social spaces open during weekends in central Jerusalem. He has praised the overwhelming wave of secular residents who showed up at his cafe to create a peaceful barrier against the demonstrators, turning him and his business into a focal point for the ongoing cultural debate regarding weekend business operations in Jerusalem.

Although individuals like Yoel Ben David manage day-to-day operations at its physical sites (such as Cafe BaSimta), Ariel 23 (the actual owner) is entirely funded and owned by the international Messianic Jewish missionary organization Jews for Jesus. 

The organization holds all the shares of the company. Public corporate registration records show that Ariel 23 is legally registered at the exact same physical address as the primary Jews for Jesus offices located in Tel Aviv.

The “Cafe Ministry” Model: The organization uses Ariel 23 as a business vehicle to secure real estate and open commercial venues, particularly cafes. 

The Objective: Rather than operating under an overt religious banner, the company sets up trendy, secular-facing spaces. This approach aims to establish local community touchpoints, create financial sustainability, and provide subtle platforms for outreach.

Instead of playing right into the hands of our enemies and actually fueling their successes, let's finally get smart about it.  Understand that it is the Government itself which allows Shabbat desecration, as well as missionary activities, and even enshrines their "rights" in their own anti-Torah laws.

A Jewish State must have a Jewish government.