Social Cohesion: Bereaved Families Set 100-Day Deadline for New Government

A coalition of Israeli bereaved families has issued a 100-day deadline to the incoming government to establish a national framework for social cohesion. The group, known as Hamechane, argues that internal division poses a structural threat to the state that rivals external military dangers. The initiative seeks to mandate a period of national unity that includes specific legislative and educational measures to bridge deep societal divides.

Moshe Shapiro, whose son Aner was killed on October 7, 2023, is a leading voice in the movement. Shapiro compares the proposed effort to the wildflower protection campaign that began in the 1960s, which successfully combined legal safeguards with public education. He aims to create a similar cultural norm where respect for others becomes standard practice, even among those with opposing political views. The group includes relatives of soldiers, survivors of captivity, and individuals wounded during the conflict with Gaza.

Shai Zohar, the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a New York-based soldier who died on October 7, describes polarization as the country's primary existential risk. He contends that the divisions present before the 2023 attacks contributed to the catastrophe. Zohar stated that unity functions as an operating system for the nation. He noted that the country has already paid an immense price for these fractures and cannot afford to slide backward. His perspective evolved after hearing Hoda Daxa, a Druze member of the group, discuss the 2018 Nation-State Law.

Daxa is the widow of Col. Ehsan Daxa, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade, who was killed in northern Gaza in October 2024. She highlighted that the 2018 law, which designates Hebrew as the state language and reserves self-determination for the Jewish people, had previously gone unnoticed by Zohar. Druze critics argue the law excludes a community whose soldiers serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. The High Court upheld the legislation in 2021, while Druze spiritual leaders have called for separate constitutional recognition of their rights.

Daxa emphasized that a sense of belonging is tested in daily interactions. She recalled a train ride where she spoke Arabic with her children and sensed passenger discomfort, despite no one intervening. She argued that unity cannot be limited to solidarity among Jews alone. Many members of her community feel integrated into Israeli society and wish to contribute. The group members vote across different parties, but they maintain that open dialogue allows them to learn from one another without assuming one side holds the correct answer.

Shapiro described a year-long process of building a shared vision among religious and secular Jews, Haredim, Druze, and political moderates. He cited his grandfather, Haim-Moshe Shapiro, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who urged Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to include opposition parties in the government before the Six Day War in 1967. That expansion included Gahal and Rafi, a move Shapiro views as a precedent for inclusive governance. He noted that no member of the current coalition had to hide their views to participate in the discussions.

The initiative has not yet determined the specific structure of the governing body it seeks, leaving that design to elected officials and professionals. Shapiro proposed that schools and workplaces could foster personal connections and that children should learn how to handle disagreement. He also advocated for measures to counter online activity that inflames hatred. Daxa stated that officially recognizing polarization as a national danger would be an initial step toward resolution.

Shapiro clarified that the group is not asking citizens to sacrifice their lives, but to listen and make room for others. He expressed disappointment that divisions he believed were fading have returned with force. The group hopes to institutionalize a culture where disagreement does not cancel mutual obligations. The 100-day target serves as a specific benchmark for the new leadership to demonstrate commitment to these goals.