Families of the Fallen Set 100 Day Deadline for New Cohesion Law

A group of bereaved families and war survivors is demanding that the next Israeli government draft a national framework for social cohesion within its first 100 days. The initiative, known as Hamechane, argues that internal division has become a primary threat to the country's stability. Members include relatives of soldiers and civilians killed in the Israel Gaza War, as well as survivors of captivity.

Moshe Shapiro, whose son Aner was killed on October 7, 2023, leads the effort. Shapiro points to the 1960s wildflower protection campaign as a model for the new framework. That campaign combined legal protections with public education, ensuring that respect for nature became a habitual practice for generations of children. He wants a similar approach to teach Israelis how to live together with the same seriousness they once applied to environmental preservation.

Shai Zohar, the uncle of Capt. Omer Neutra, a New York based soldier killed on October 7, describes internal polarization as the nation's greatest existential threat. He argues that divisions existing before the attack helped bring about the catastrophe. Zohar stated that unity must function as an operating system for the state, warning that Israel has already paid an immense price and cannot slip backward.

Hoda Daxa, whose husband Col. Ehsan Daxa was killed in northern Gaza in October 2024, emphasizes that unity must extend beyond the Jewish community. Daxa, who is Druze, recalled sensing discomfort from fellow passengers on a train when she spoke Arabic. She noted that many non Jewish citizens already feel part of Israeli society and wish to contribute. The group includes members who vote for different parties but maintain that conversation works because they are willing to learn rather than assume one side is right.

The demand for a cohesion framework follows a yearlong process of building a shared vision among religious and secular Jews, haredim, Druze, and supporters from the right and left. Shapiro described this diverse group as the face of Israeli society. He noted that no participant had to hide their views during these discussions. The group is not proposing a specific organizational structure, leaving that task to elected officials and professionals.

Context for this push includes ongoing debates about the 2018 Nation State Law. That law reserves national self determination to the Jewish people and defines Hebrew as the state language. While the High Court upheld the law in 2021, Druze critics argue it excludes a community whose soldiers fight for the state. Zohar admitted he did not fully grasp the law's impact on the Druze community until he heard Daxa speak about it.

Shapiro also referenced the historical precedent of broad coalition governments. 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 widened to include Gahal, led by Menachem Begin, and Rafi, whose members included Moshe Dayan. Shapiro believes this history offers a lesson for current leaders seeking to bridge deep ideological gaps.

The group hopes to encourage personal connections through schools, workplaces, and local communities. Shapiro wants children to learn about different communities and how to handle disagreement. He also calls for measures against online activity that inflames hatred. Daxa said that recognizing polarization as a national danger would be a starting point. Shapiro stressed that the group is not asking people to sacrifice their lives, only to listen and make room for others.