Hamechane Sets 100-Day Deadline for New Israeli Cohesion Framework

Moshe Shapiro, Hoda Daxa, and Shai Zohar have formally requested that the incoming Israeli government draft a national framework for social cohesion within its first 100 days. The group, known as Hamechane, seeks to institutionalize respect across diverse communities through legislative and educational measures. Shapiro, whose son Aner died on October 7, 2023, leads the initiative alongside Daxa and Zohar, who lost their own family members in the conflict.

The group’s members include bereaved families, captivity survivors, and those wounded in the Israel-Gaza War. The name Hamechane translates to the denominator, symbolizing the search for common ground. Shapiro cites the 1960s wildflower protection campaign as a model, noting that it combined legal safeguards with public education until the cause became ingrained in multiple generations. He proposes a similar structure for social respect, aiming to make mutual obligation a standard part of civic life.

Zohar, the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a New York soldier killed on October 7, described internal polarization as the country’s greatest existential threat. He argued that divisions existing before the attack contributed to the catastrophe. Zohar admitted he did not fully understand the impact of the 2018 Nation-State Law on the Druze community until he heard Daxa speak. Daxa, the widow of Col. Ehsan Daxa who died in northern Gaza in October 2024, explained that the law defines Hebrew as the state language and reserves self-determination for the Jewish people. Druze critics argue this excludes a community whose soldiers serve in the state, despite the High Court upholding the law in 2021.

Daxa stated that unity must extend beyond the Jewish population to include all citizens. She recalled a train ride where she spoke Arabic with her children and sensed passenger discomfort. She emphasized that group members vote for different parties but prioritize learning over assumption. Shapiro described a yearlong process of building a shared vision among religious and secular Jews, Haredim, Druze, and supporters from the Right and Left. He noted that no participant had to conceal their views during these discussions.

The group has not defined the specific structure of the proposed body, leaving that decision to elected officials and professionals. Shapiro suggested that children should learn about different communities and how to manage disagreement in schools. He also proposed measures to counter online activity that inflames hatred. The initiative aims to create personal connections through workplaces and communities, relying on the premise that disagreement does not cancel mutual obligations.

Shapiro recalled that his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, urged Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to include opposition parties before the Six-Day War. In June 1967, the government was expanded to include Gahal and Rafi. Shapiro said he had believed such divisions were fading during the shiva for his son but now feels disappointment at their return. He referenced a social media post by Aner written before October 7, in which his son criticized rigid political and religious categories and wrote that there really is no them.