Hamechane demands cohesion framework in first 100 days of next government

Bereaved families and survivors of the Israel-Gaza War have set a 100-day deadline for the next Israeli government to draft a national framework for social cohesion. The initiative, known as Hamechane, seeks to establish legal protections and public education measures that treat unity as a state responsibility. Moshe Shapiro, whose son Aner was killed on October 7, 2023, leads the group alongside Hoda Daxa and Shai Zohar.

The group’s name translates to "the denominator," a reference to finding common ground among diverse communities. Members include relatives of the fallen, captivity survivors, and wounded soldiers. They argue that internal polarization poses the greatest existential threat to the state. Shai Zohar, whose nephew Capt. Omer Neutra was killed on October 7 and whose body was returned from Gaza in November 2025, described unity as an operating system that Israel cannot afford to lose.

Shapiro points to the wildflower campaign of the 1960s as a successful model. That effort combined legal protection with public education until caring for wildflowers became a common habit for generations of children. The group wants a similar cultural shift where respect for others becomes ingrained, even amid deep political or religious disagreement. They propose that this framework be established within the first 100 days of the new cabinet's tenure.

Hoda Daxa, husband Col. Ehsan Daxa, who was killed in northern Gaza in October 2024, highlighted the need for inclusion beyond the Jewish majority. She recalled the discomfort she felt speaking Arabic on a train, noting that many non-Jewish citizens already feel part of Israeli society and wish to contribute. Daxa emphasized that unity cannot be limited to Jewish solidarity, citing the 2018 Nation-State Law as a point of tension for Druze communities.

The group has spent a year building a shared vision among religious and secular Jews, Haredim, Druze, and politicians from the Right and Left. Shapiro noted that his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, urged a government expansion before the Six-Day War in 1967. That move included Menachem Begin's Gahal party and Moshe Dayan's Rafi faction. The current initiative aims to replicate that spirit of inclusion in the present political landscape.

Hamechane has not yet defined the specific legal body responsible for this framework, leaving that task to elected officials and professionals. The group proposes measures to educate children in schools and workplaces about different communities and to manage online hatred. They aim to create personal connections that reduce the impact of political categorization.

Shapiro stated that the group is not asking members to sacrifice their lives, but to listen and make room for others. He expressed disappointment that divisions have resurfaced since the shiva for his son. The group believes that recognizing polarization as a national danger is the first step toward a cohesive society.

The next government will face the task of drafting this framework within the specified timeframe. The initiative relies on the willingness of the new cabinet to prioritize social integration alongside security and economic goals. The process began with a yearlong consultation across Israel's major demographic groups.