Grieving families set 100-day target for national cohesion framework

A group of bereaved Israeli families has issued a direct demand to the country's next government: establish a national framework for social cohesion within its first 100 days. The initiative, known as Hamechane, argues that internal division poses an existential threat comparable to external military threats and seeks to make respect for differing communities a legal and educational priority.

Shai Zohar, whose nephew was killed on October 7, 2023, identifies internal polarization as the primary danger to the state. He argues that pre-existing social fractures contributed to the October 7 catastrophe and warns that the nation has already paid a high price for disunity. Zohar describes unity not as a temporary sentiment but as a structural operating system that requires active maintenance, noting that the group includes members from various political backgrounds who collaborate to find common ground.

Hoda Daxa, whose husband was killed leading troops in Gaza in October 2024, emphasizes that cohesion must extend beyond the Jewish majority. She recalls a train ride where she sensed discomfort after speaking Arabic with her children, illustrating how belonging is tested in daily interactions. Daxa stresses that many non-Jewish citizens, including the Druze community, already feel part of Israeli society and wish to contribute, yet the 2018 Nation-State Law has created friction by reserving national self-determination for the Jewish people while granting Arabic only special status.

Moshe Shapiro, whose son died protecting fellow festival-goers on October 7, 2023, proposes a model based on the 1960s wildflower protection campaign. He suggests pairing legal safeguards with public education to embed mutual respect into the national consciousness. Shapiro notes that the group has spent a year building a shared vision among religious, secular, and political factions, relying on personal connections rather than partisan alignment to drive the conversation.

The group does not prescribe the specific structure of the new body or legislation, leaving that design to elected officials and professionals. Instead, Hamechane focuses on encouraging personal connections through schools, workplaces, and communities, with proposed measures targeting online activities that inflame hatred. Shapiro frames the effort as a return to basic civic duties, asking citizens to listen and make room for others without sacrificing their individual views or identities.

Daxa and Shapiro both acknowledge that the process is difficult, with members voting for different parties and holding deep disagreements. However, they maintain that the willingness to learn from one another, rather than assume one side is right, allows for productive dialogue. The group’s members include survivors of captivity and those wounded in the war, bringing a shared sense of urgency to the push for institutional change in the new government's early months.