Social Cohesion: Bereaved Families Set 100-Day Deadline

Moshe Shapiro and his coalition partners are asking the next Israeli government to treat social cohesion as a formal state responsibility. They have set a deadline of 100 days for the new cabinet to create a national framework for unity. This initiative, known as Hamechane, is led by families who lost relatives during the Israel-Gaza War and captivity. The group is positioning this effort as a structural fix for internal division rather than a temporary political gesture.

The proposal draws a direct parallel to the wildflower protection campaign that began in the 1960s. That earlier effort paired legal safeguards with public education until the practice became second nature to generations of children. Shapiro argues that respect for different communities, even amidst deep disagreement, should reach the same level of ingrained cultural habit. The goal is to make cohesion an operating standard for society rather than a seasonal sentiment.

Shapiro, whose son Aner was killed on October 7, 2023, leads the effort alongside Hoda Daxa and Shai Zohar. Zohar is the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a lone soldier from New York killed on October 7 whose body was returned in November 2025. Daxa's husband, Col. Ehsan Daxa, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade, died leading troops in northern Gaza in October 2024. These personal losses form the core constituency for the proposed framework.

Zohar described internal polarization as the country's greatest existential threat. He argued that the divisions present before October 7 helped enable the catastrophe. "Unity is an operating system, an approach," he said. He noted that Israel cannot revert to previous states of division because the nation has already paid an immense price. Zohar also acknowledged a personal blind spot, admitting that he did not grasp the impact of the 2018 Nation-State Law on the Druze community until he heard Daxa discuss it.

The 2018 law reserves national self-determination for the Jewish people and defines Hebrew as the state language. It grants Arabic special status but lacks an explicit guarantee of equality. Druze critics argue this excludes a community whose soldiers fight for 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, while the coalition promised separate legislation on Druze status.

Daxa emphasized that the test of belonging often occurs in everyday moments. She recalled a train ride where she spoke Arabic with her children and sensed discomfort from other passengers. "Hatred doesn't distinguish," she said. She stressed that unity cannot mean solidarity among Jews alone. Many people already feel part of Israeli society and want to contribute. Group members vote for different parties, but they prioritize learning over assuming one side is correct. "We come with an open heart," Daxa said.

Shapiro outlined a yearlong process to build a shared vision among religious and secular Jews, haredim, Druze, and members of the Right and Left. He described this mix as the true face of Israeli society. He recalled that his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, urged Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to bring opposition parties into the government before the Six-Day War. In June 1967, the government widened to include Gahal, led by Menachem Begin, and Rafi, which included Moshe Dayan, who became defense minister.

The group has not yet determined the specific structure of the body it seeks to create. That decision is left to elected officials and professionals. Shapiro hopes the framework will encourage personal connections through schools, workplaces, and communities. He wants children to learn how to listen and handle disagreement. He also supports measures against online activity that inflames hatred. Daxa said recognizing polarization as a national danger would be a starting point. Shapiro clarified that the group is not asking for sacrifices of life, only for listening and mutual obligation.