100-Day Deadline: Bereaved Families Demand National Cohesion Framework

Moshe Shapiro stands at the center of a growing movement demanding that Israel’s next government treat social cohesion as a state obligation. Shapiro’s son, Aner, died on October 7, 2023, while defending fellow music festival attendees at a roadside shelter. Now, Shapiro and other bereaved relatives are pushing the incoming administration to codify national unity within its first 100 days in office.

The initiative, known as Hamechane, which translates to "the denominator," brings together families of the fallen, captivity survivors, and wounded veterans. The group cites the 1960s wildflower preservation campaign as a blueprint. That effort combined legal protections with public education, eventually embedding respect for nature into the national consciousness. Shapiro argues that mutual respect and the ability to listen must achieve similar status.

Shai Zohar, uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a New York soldier whose body was returned from Gaza in November 2025, identified internal polarization as the country's most serious threat. He stated that divisions present before October 7 contributed to the catastrophe. "Unity is an operating system, an approach," Zohar said. He noted that Israel cannot afford to retreat further, having already paid a heavy price for existing fractures.

Hoda Daxa, whose husband Col. Ehsan Daxa was killed leading troops in northern Gaza in October 2024, emphasized that belonging is tested in daily life. Daxa, a Druze, recalled a train ride where she sensed discomfort from passengers after speaking Arabic. She warned that hatred is not selective and that unity must extend beyond the Jewish community. "We come with an open heart," she said, noting that group members vote for different parties but remain committed to dialogue.

The 2018 Nation-State Law remains a point of contention. The legislation reserves national self-determination for the Jewish people and designates Hebrew as the state language, while Arabic holds special status. Druze critics argue it excludes a community whose soldiers serve in the military. Although the High Court upheld the law in 2021, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif called for constitutional recognition in November 2023. The current coalition had promised separate legislation to address Druze status.

Shapiro described a yearlong process of forging a shared vision across religious, secular, haredi, and political lines. He recalled his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, urging Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to expand the government before the Six Day War in 1967. That expansion included parties led by Menachem Begin and Moshe Dayan. Shapiro believes that listening and making room for others should replace the assumption that disagreement cancels mutual obligation.

The group has not yet defined the specific structure of the body it seeks to create, leaving that design to elected officials and professionals. Hamechane intends to foster connections through schools, workplaces, and communities. Members plan to advocate for curricula that teach listening and conflict resolution, alongside measures to curb online activity that fuels hatred. Daxa stated that officially recognizing polarization as a national danger would be an essential first step.

Shapiro stressed that the initiative asks for attention, not sacrifice. The group’s members, who represent a cross-section of Israeli society, believe that a formal framework will help bridge the gaps that currently divide the country. They are preparing to present their demands to the new cabinet as it begins its term.