Bereaved families demand 100-day national unity framework from new Israeli government
The initiative Hamechane urges leaders to prioritize social cohesion as a state mandate, citing internal division as a primary threat to the country's survival.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
100 days. That is the deadline set by Hamechane, a coalition of bereaved families and war survivors, for the next Israeli government to establish a national framework for social cohesion. The group argues that internal polarization is now the state's greatest existential threat, a danger that rivals the military challenges facing the country.
Leading the push is Moshe Shapiro, whose son Aner was killed on October 7, 2023, while defending fellow Nova music festival attendees. Shapiro stands alongside Hoda Daxa, whose husband, Col. Ehsan Daxa, died in northern Gaza in October 2024, and Shai Zohar, the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra. Neutra, a lone soldier from New York, was killed on October 7, and his remains were returned in November 2025.
Zohar described unity as an "operating system" rather than a temporary sentiment. He stated that divisions existing before the October 7 attacks helped facilitate the catastrophe. "Israel cannot slip backward," he said, noting the nation has "already paid an immense price." He admitted he had not previously understood the impact of the 2018 Nation-State Law on the Druze community until hearing Daxa's perspective. The law, upheld by the High Court in 2021, reserves national self-determination for the Jewish people, a provision Druze critics argue excludes a community whose members serve in the military.
Daxa emphasized that belonging is tested in daily interactions. She recalled a train ride where she felt passenger discomfort after speaking Arabic with her children. "Hatred doesn't distinguish," she said. The group argues that unity must extend beyond Jewish solidarity to include all citizens who wish to contribute to Israeli society. Members of Hamechane vote for different parties but maintain that open dialogue allows them to work despite their differences.
Shapiro modeled the initiative on the 1960s wildflower protection campaign, which combined legal safeguards with public education. He aims to make mutual respect as ingrained in Israeli culture as the protection of native plants. The group spent a year building a shared vision among religious, secular, Druze, and political factions. Shapiro noted that no member had to hide their views during these discussions, a process he compared to his grandfather's efforts to broaden the government before the Six Day War in 1967.
Hamechane has not defined the specific structure of the body it seeks, leaving that decision to elected officials. The group proposes measures to combat online hatred and integrate community education into schools. Shapiro clarified that the goal is not to force agreement, but to ensure that disagreement does not erase mutual obligations. The coalition asks the incoming administration to treat social cohesion as a state priority, not an optional policy.
Shapiro’s son Aner had voiced a similar sentiment before his death. In a social media post responding to graffiti defacing an image of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Aner criticized rigid political and religious labels. He wrote, "There really is no 'them.'" This sentiment now drives Hamechane's appeal to the next leadership to listen and make room for others.
