Bereaved Families Propose 100 Day Plan to Fix Social Fractures

For ordinary citizens, the upcoming election may determine whether the country adopts a formal, state backed approach to managing internal divisions. A group of bereaved families and war survivors is urging the next government to treat social cohesion as a core national responsibility. They are asking for a specific legal and educational framework to be created within the first 100 days of the new administration. This initiative, known as Hamechane, seeks to institutionalize respect and understanding rather than leaving social bonds to chance.

The group’s leadership includes Moshe Shapiro, whose son Aner was killed on October 7, 2023, while defending fellow festival attendees. Joining him are Shai Zohar, the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a lone soldier from New York, and Hoda Daxa, the widow of Col. Ehsan Daxa. Both men were killed in military actions related to the Israel Gaza War. Neutra’s remains were returned in November 2025, and Col. Daxa died in northern Gaza in October 2024. Their shared loss fuels a push for structural change in how Israelis relate to one another.

Hamechane, a name meaning the denominator, refers to the search for common ground. The initiative argues that internal polarization is the state’s greatest existential threat. Zohar described unity as an operating system for the nation. He warned that Israel cannot slip backward after paying such a high price. He admitted that he had not fully understood the impact of the 2018 Nation State Law on the Druze community until he heard Daxa speak. She is Druze, and her experience highlighted how the law, which reserves national self determination for the Jewish people, affects non Jewish communities who serve in the military.

The legal context remains complex. The High Court upheld the Nation State Law in 2021. Druze critics argue it excludes their community, while supporters see it as compatible with equality protections. Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the Druze spiritual leader, called for constitutional recognition of Druze rights in November 2023. The current coalition promised separate legislation on this status. Daxa notes that belonging is tested in daily life, such as when she speaks Arabic on public trains and senses passenger discomfort. She emphasizes that unity must include all groups, not just Jews.

Building this consensus has taken a year of dialogue. Shapiro worked with religious and secular Jews, haredim, Druze, and people from across the political spectrum. He noted that no one had to hide their views during these discussions. He drew a parallel to his grandfather, Haim Moshe Shapiro, who urged Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to include opposition parties in the government before the Six Day War. In 1967, the government was indeed widened to include Gahal and Rafi. Shapiro believes a similar spirit of inclusion is needed now to prevent the return of old divisions.

Aner Shapiro, the group’s inspiration, had expressed similar views before his death. In a social media post after graffiti defaced an image of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he criticized rigid categories of religious, secular, and political identity. He wrote that there really is no them. His father now feels disappointment that these divisions have resurfaced with such force. The group hopes to use this momentum to change how society functions at a grassroots level.

The proposed framework would encourage personal connections through schools, workplaces, and communities. Shapiro wants children to learn about different communities and how to handle disagreement respectfully. The group also calls for measures against online activity that inflames hatred. They have left the specific structure of the new body to elected officials and professionals. Daxa believes that simply recognizing polarization as a national danger would be a significant first step. The goal is not to force agreement, but to ensure that disagreement does not cancel mutual obligations.

As the election approaches, the message from Hamechane is clear. They are not asking citizens to sacrifice their lives or their beliefs. They are asking for a national commitment to listening and making room for others. By turning social cohesion into a policy priority, the group hopes to create a more resilient society. This approach aims to ensure that the lessons of the past few years lead to lasting stability rather than renewed conflict.