Hamechane Demands Cohesion Framework Within First Hundred Days

Moshe Shapiro, whose son Aner was killed while defending fellow festival-goers on October 7, 2023, is leading a group of bereaved relatives and survivors to demand a national framework for social cohesion. Speaking ahead of upcoming elections, Shapiro joined Hoda Daxa and Shai Zohar to outline the group's primary request: the next government must draft this framework within its first 100 days. The initiative, known as Hamechane, translates to "the denominator," reflecting its focus on finding common ground among diverse communities.

Shapiro pointed to Israel's wildflower protection campaign, which began in the 1960s, as a structural model. That effort combined legal protections with public education until the cause became deeply ingrained in the next generation. He argues that respect for others, even amidst deep disagreement, needs to become similarly established in Israeli society. The group includes families who lost loved ones, captivity survivors, and individuals wounded during the Israel-Gaza War.

Shai Zohar, the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a New York soldier killed on October 7 and returned in November 2025, described internal polarization as the country's greatest existential threat. He argued that pre-existing divisions helped enable the catastrophe. "Unity is an operating system, an approach," Zohar stated. He warned that the nation has already paid an immense price and cannot slip backward. He also noted that hearing Daxa, who is Druze, discuss the 2018 Nation-State Law changed his understanding of its impact on her community.

The Nation-State Law reserves national self-determination to the Jewish people and designates Hebrew as the state language. While the High Court upheld the law in 2021, Druze critics argue it excludes a community whose soldiers serve in the military. In November 2023, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif called for constitutional recognition of the community's rights. The current coalition has promised separate legislation to address Druze status.

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. She recalled a train ride where she spoke Arabic with her children and sensed passenger discomfort. "Hatred doesn't distinguish," Daxa said. She stressed that unity must extend beyond Jewish solidarity and include all citizens who wish to contribute. Group members vote for different parties, but they maintain dialogue by listening rather than assuming one side is correct.

Shapiro described a yearlong process of building a shared vision among religious and secular Jews, haredim, Druze, and political opponents. He referenced his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who urged Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to broaden the cabinet before the Six Day War. In June 1967, the government included Gahal, led by Menachem Begin, and Rafi, which included Moshe Dayan.

Aner Shapiro had expressed a similar view in a social media post before his death, criticizing rigid religious and political categories and writing, "There really is no 'them.'" Moshe Shapiro now feels disappointment at the return of such divisions. The group hopes to encourage personal connections through schools, workplaces, and communities. Shapiro wants children to learn about different communities and how to handle disagreement, along with measures against online hatred. The group has left the specific structure of the proposed body to elected officials and professionals.

Daxa said that recognizing polarization as a national danger would be a meaningful first step. Shapiro clarified that he is not asking people to sacrifice their lives, but to listen and make room for others. He emphasized that disagreement does not cancel mutual obligations. The group awaits the formation of the new cabinet to begin its advocacy for the 100-day deadline.