100 Days: Bereaved Families Demand Cohesion Framework

The deadline is 100 days.

Moshe Shapiro, Hoda Daxa, and Shai Zohar have set a specific timeline for the next Israeli government to address social fragmentation. The three are leading Hamechane, an initiative that treats social cohesion as a national responsibility. They want a formal framework established before the 100th day of the new term.

The group brings together families who lost loved ones in the Israel-Gaza War. Members also include survivors of captivity and wounded soldiers. Shapiro lost his son, Aner, on October 7, 2023. Aner died while throwing grenades from a roadside shelter to protect attendees at the Nova music festival. Zohar is the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a lone soldier from New York. Neutra’s body was brought back from Gaza in November 2025. Daxa is the widow of Col. Ehsan Daxa, who commanded the 401st Armored Brigade. He was killed leading troops in northern Gaza in October 2024.

The name Hamechane translates to “the denominator.” The term refers to the mathematical search for common ground. Shapiro cites the wildflower campaign that began in the 1960s as a model. That initiative combined legal protection with public education. Generations of children grew up knowing the cause. Shapiro wants a similar ingrained respect for others to become standard, even when disagreements are deep.

Zohar identifies internal polarization as the country’s greatest existential threat. He argues that divisions existing before October 7 helped cause the catastrophe. “Unity is an operating system, an approach,” he said. He warned that Israel has “already paid an immense price” and cannot slip backward. Zohar admitted he did not fully grasp the impact of the 2018 Nation-State Law on the Druze community until hearing Daxa speak. “It went over my head,” he said.

The 2018 law reserves national self-determination for the Jewish people. It defines Hebrew as the state language and gives Arabic special status. It lacks an explicit equality guarantee. Druze critics argue the law excludes a community whose soldiers fight for the state. The High Court upheld the law in 2021. In November 2023, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif called for constitutional recognition of the community’s rights. The coalition promised separate legislation on Druze status at that time.

Daxa says belonging is tested in daily moments. She recalled riding a train with her children while speaking Arabic. She sensed passenger discomfort even though no one spoke. “Hatred doesn’t distinguish,” she said. She stresses that unity cannot mean solidarity among Jews alone. Many people already feel part of Israeli society and want to contribute. Group members vote for different parties. Conversation works because they are willing to learn. “We come with an open heart,” she said.

Shapiro described a yearlong process to build a shared vision. The group includes religious and secular Jews, Haredim, Druze, and people from the political Right and Left. “This is the face of Israeli society,” he said. He noted that no one had to hide their views. Shapiro recalled his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, who signed the Declaration of Independence and served as a minister. His grandfather urged Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to bring in opposition parties before the Six Day War. In June 1967, the government widened to include Gahal and Rafi. Menachem Begin led Gahal, and Moshe Dayan, a Rafi member, became defense minister.

Aner wrote a social media post before October 7 after graffiti defaced an image of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. He criticized categories like religious, secular, right-wing, and left-wing. He wrote, “There really is no ‘them.’” Shapiro said he believed such divisions were fading during the shiva for his son. He now feels disappointment at their return.

Hamechane hopes to encourage personal connections through schools, workplaces, and communities. Shapiro wants children to learn about different communities and how to listen. He also wants measures against online activity that inflames hatred. The group has not settled the structure of the body it seeks. It leaves that decision to elected officials and professionals. Daxa said recognizing polarization as a national danger would be a start. Shapiro stressed that he is not asking people to sacrifice their lives. He is asking them to listen, make room for others, and remember that disagreement does not cancel mutual obligations.