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

A Jerusalem cafe picketed for weeks by observant Jews said Thursday it had agreed to shut on the Sabbath, bowing to demands despite counter-protests by secular Israelis. 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.