Bereaved families demand 100-day cohesion plan

Hamechane, a coalition of bereaved families and war survivors, has set a 100-day deadline for the next Israeli government to adopt a national framework for social cohesion.

The initiative, whose name translates to "the denominator," seeks to institutionalize respect and common ground as state policy. Its members include relatives of those killed in the Israel-Gaza War, captivity survivors, and wounded civilians. The group is asking elected officials to define the structure of the body that will implement these measures, leaving the specific mechanics to professionals and lawmakers.

Moshe Shapiro, whose son Aner died on October 7, 2023, while defending Nova music festival attendees, leads the effort. He is joined by Hoda Daxa, wife of Col. Ehsan Daxa, and Shai Zohar, uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra. Col. Daxa was killed leading troops in northern Gaza in October 2024. Capt. Neutra, a lone soldier from New York, was killed on October 7, and his body was returned from Gaza in November 2025.

Shapiro compares the desired outcome to the wildflower campaign that began in the 1960s. That initiative combined legal protection with public education until the cause became ingrained in generations of children. He wants a similar cultural shift where respect for others persists even during deep disagreement. The group spent a year building a shared vision among religious and secular Jews, haredim, Druze, and members of the political Right and Left.

Zohar identifies internal polarization as the country's most serious existential threat. He argues that divisions existing before October 7 contributed to the catastrophe. "Unity is an operating system, an approach," he said. He noted that Israel cannot revert to previous conditions after paying an immense price. Zohar also acknowledged learning from Daxa about the 2018 Nation-State Law, which reserves national self-determination for the Jewish people.

Daxa emphasizes that belonging is tested in daily life. She recalled a train ride where she spoke Arabic with her children and sensed passenger discomfort. "Hatred doesn't distinguish," she said. She insists that unity must extend beyond Jewish solidarity and include those who wish to contribute to Israeli society. Group members vote for different parties but maintain that conversation works because participants are willing to learn rather than assume one side is correct.

Shapiro cited his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who urged Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to widen the government before the Six Day War. In June 1967, the coalition expanded to include Gahal and Rafi. Shapiro noted that his son Aner had previously criticized rigid political categories, writing that there really is no "them." The group proposes measures to encourage personal connections in schools and workplaces and to address online activity that inflames hatred.

Daxa stated that recognizing polarization as a national danger would be a starting point. Shapiro clarified that the demand is not for individuals to sacrifice their lives, but to listen and make room for others. The group maintains that disagreement does not cancel mutual obligations.