Hamechane: Bereaved families demand cohesion framework in first 100 days

Moshe Shapiro and two other bereaved relatives have set a strict deadline for Israel's incoming cabinet. They demand that the new government draft a national framework for social cohesion within its first 100 days in office. The group, known as Hamechane, argues that internal division is a primary threat to the state. They want this new policy to become as deeply rooted in Israeli culture as the protection of wildflowers.

Shapiro lost his son, Aner, on October 7, 2023. Aner was killed while throwing grenades from a roadside shelter to protect attendees at the Nova music festival. He is joined in this initiative by Hoda Daxa and Shai Zohar. Zohar is the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a soldier from New York who was killed on the same day. Neutra's body was returned from Gaza in November 2025. Daxa lost her husband, Col. Ehsan Daxa, in October 2024. He was killed while leading troops in northern Gaza.

The name Hamechane translates to the denominator, symbolizing the search for common ground. The organization includes families of the fallen, survivors of captivity, and those wounded in the Israel-Gaza War. Shapiro points to the wildflower campaign launched in the 1960s as a template. That effort combined legal protections with public education. Over time, it taught generations of children to value the cause. Shapiro wants respect for others to achieve the same level of ingrained understanding, even when disagreements are deep.

Shai Zohar described internal polarization as the country's greatest existential threat. He argued that the divisions present before October 7 helped lead to the catastrophe. Zohar stated that unity is an operating system and an approach. He warned that Israel cannot slip backward because the nation has already paid an immense price. He admitted that he did not fully understand the impact of the 2018 Nation-State Law on the Druze community until he heard Daxa speak about it.

The 2018 law reserves national self-determination to the Jewish people and defines Hebrew as the state language. It gives Arabic special status but lacks an explicit equality guarantee. Druze critics argue the law excludes a community whose soldiers serve in the state. The High Court upheld the law in 2021, finding it compatible with equality protections. In November 2023, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif called for constitutional recognition of community rights. The coalition promised separate legislation on Druze status at the time.

Hoda Daxa said that a sense of belonging is often tested in small, everyday moments. She recalled a train ride where she spoke Arabic with her children. Although no one spoke up, she sensed the discomfort of other passengers. Daxa stated that hatred does not distinguish between groups. She emphasized that unity cannot mean solidarity among Jews alone. Many people already feel part of Israeli society and want to contribute. She noted that group members vote for different parties, but they communicate because they are willing to learn.

Shapiro described a yearlong process of building a shared vision. The group includes religious and secular Jews, haredim, Druze, and people from the political Right and Left. He said this mix represents the face of Israeli society. No participant had to hide their views. Shapiro recalled that his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, urged Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to include opposition parties before the Six Day War. In June 1967, the government was widened to include Gahal and Rafi. This included Menachem Begin and Moshe Dayan, who became defense minister.

Aner expressed a similar outlook in a social media post before his death. He criticized the rigid categories of religious, secular, right-wing, and left-wing. He wrote that there really is no them. Shapiro said he believed such divisions were fading during the shiva for his son. He now feels disappointed at their return. Hamechane hopes to encourage personal connections through schools, workplaces, and communities. Shapiro wants children to learn how to listen and handle disagreement. He also wants measures against online activity that inflames hatred. The group has not decided on the specific structure of the body it seeks to create. It leaves that task to elected officials and professionals. Daxa said recognizing polarization as a national danger would be a start. Shapiro stressed that he is not asking people to sacrifice their lives. He is asking them to listen, make room for others, and remember that disagreement does not cancel mutual obligations.