Hamechane Demands State Mandate for Cohesion Within 100 Days

Israeli society faces deep internal divisions that bereaved families argue have become a structural threat to the state. In response, the group Hamechane has issued a specific demand to the incoming government: the creation of a national framework for social cohesion within the first 100 days of the new administration. The initiative seeks to institutionalize unity as a state responsibility rather than a private sentiment.

The push follows the trauma of the Israel-Gaza War and the attacks of October 7, 2023. Hamechane consists of families who lost members, survivors of captivity, and those wounded in combat. Key figures include Moshe Shapiro, whose son Aner was killed defending festival goers; Shai Zohar, the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a New York soldier whose body was returned from Gaza in November 2025; and Hoda Daxa, whose husband, Col. Ehsan Daxa, died leading the 401st Armored Brigade in northern Gaza in October 2024.

The group draws its name from the concept of finding a common denominator. They point to the 1960s wildflower conservation campaign as a model for their strategy. That initiative combined legal protection with public education, creating a lasting cultural norm. Shapiro argues that respect for others, even during periods of intense disagreement, must become similarly ingrained in Israeli society.

Zohar described internal polarization as the country's greatest existential risk. He stated that divisions existing before October 7 contributed to the catastrophe. "Unity is an operating system, an approach," he said. He noted that he only fully understood the impact of the 2018 Nation-State Law on the Druze community after hearing Daxa, who is Druze, discuss it. The law reserves national self-determination for the Jewish people and designates Hebrew as the state language. Druze critics argue it excludes a community whose members serve in the military, though the High Court upheld the law in 2021.

Daxa emphasized that unity must extend beyond the Jewish majority. 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 noted that group members vote for different parties, but they prioritize learning over assumption. "We come with an open heart," she added.

Shapiro described a yearlong process of building a shared vision among religious, secular, haredi, Druze, and political factions. He cited his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, who urged Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to expand the government before the Six Day War. That move included opposition parties Gahal and Rafi. Shapiro also referenced a social media post by his son Aner, written before October 7, which rejected rigid political and religious labels.

The group has not defined the specific structure of the proposed body, leaving that decision to elected officials and professionals. Their goals include implementing school curricula on community differences, regulating online activity that inflames hatred, and fostering personal connections in workplaces. Daxa stated that simply recognizing polarization as a national danger would be a starting point. Shapiro clarified that the initiative asks citizens to listen and make room for others, not to abandon their identities.

The deadline for the new framework is 100 days from the formation of the next government. The group expects the new leadership to address the structural gaps in social cohesion that have persisted since the war began.