Hamechane Leaders Call for National Cohesion Framework Within First 100 Days

As Israel prepares for a new government, a coalition of bereaved families, captivity survivors, and war wounded is pressing for a decisive national response to internal division. The group, known as Hamechane, which translates to the denominator, is asking the incoming administration to establish a formal framework for social cohesion within its first 100 days. The initiative seeks to institutionalize respect and common ground, treating national unity as a structural necessity rather than a temporary political goal.

The leadership of this effort is composed of individuals who have experienced the war and its aftermath intimately. Moshe Shapiro, whose son Aner was killed on October 7, 2023, while defending fellow festival attendees, speaks from personal loss. He is joined by Shai Zohar, the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a soldier from New York whose remains were returned from Gaza in November 2025, and Hoda Daxa, whose husband, Col. Ehsan Daxa, was killed in northern Gaza in October 2024. These three figures represent a cross-section of the society that Hamechane aims to unify.

Shapiro points to the historical wildflower campaign of the 1960s as a blueprint for their approach. That initiative combined legal protection with public education, embedding the cause in the daily consciousness of generations. He argues that a similar long-term strategy is needed for social respect, ensuring that the value of others becomes ingrained even amidst deep disagreement. Zohar has described internal polarization as the country's greatest existential threat, suggesting that prewar divisions contributed to the catastrophe. He noted that unity is an operating system, warning that the nation has already paid an immense price for its fragmentation.

The stakes are highlighted by the ongoing debate over the 2018 Nation-State Law. While the law reserves 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. Daxa, who is Druze, described how the law shifted her perspective and noted the discomfort she still feels in public spaces. She emphasized that unity cannot be limited to solidarity among Jews alone, but must include those who already feel part of Israeli society and wish to contribute.

The group is working to bridge gaps between religious and secular Jews, haredim, Druze, and those from the political right and left. Shapiro described a yearlong process of building a shared vision where no one had to hide their views. He recalled his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, urging Prime Minister Levi Eshkol before the Six Day War to include opposition parties in the government. In June 1967, the government was indeed widened to include Gahal and Rafi, a move that included figures like Moshe Dayan. This historical precedent informs their current push for inclusive governance.

Hamechane proposes practical measures to foster connection through schools, workplaces, and communities. These include teaching children about different communities and how to manage disagreement, as well as addressing online activities that inflame hatred. The group has left the specific structure of the proposed body to elected officials and professionals. Daxa noted that simply recognizing polarization as a national danger would be a significant first step. Shapiro stressed that the goal is not to sacrifice identity, but to listen, make room for others, and remember that disagreement does not cancel mutual obligations.