Freed hostage Alon Ohel, who spent over two years in Hamas captivity, performed at a celebration of freedom at a US Independence Day event on July 4, marking the country’s 250th birthday.
Ohel, a pianist, accompanied musician John Ondrasik, better known as Five for Fighting, aboard the USS Nimitz, a nuclear-powered supercarrier, in New York Harbor.
They played “Superman,” one of Ondrasik’s biggest hits, before an audience that included senior military personnel and government officials, among them the US ambassador to the United Nations.
The song includes the lyrics: “Even heroes have the right to bleed/I may be disturbed, but won’t you concede/Even heroes have the right to dream.” Ondrasik, an outspoken supporter of Israel, recorded a new version of the 25-year-old song to honor the hostages taken by Hamas. Not long after the song’s original release, it was used as a tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terror attack by al-Qaeda.
Ohel looked relaxed and happy during the performance, but a bureaucratic snafu nearly prevented his arrival in the US. When he flew into New York, he was still listed in the government computer as a hostage, and the matter had to be clarified with the Israeli consulate, according to a report in Ynet. More than a year ago, another freed hostage, Liri Albag, faced a similar security issue in New York when she flew to the Big Apple for a family vacation.
Ohel was severely injured while held hostage in Gaza
Ohel, a pianist who was planning to continue his music studies when he was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, was released on October 13, 2025, and spent a total of 737 days in captivity. He suffered severe injuries during his abduction that went untreated and spent much of his time in captivity in a tunnel, chained by his leg. There were fears that, due to injuries to his eye, he would lose his vision, and he has undergone several surgeries since returning home.
During his captivity, his family started a campaign to raise awareness of his condition, and the slogan “Alon You Are Not Alone” was inscribed on pianos in Israel and around the world.
In February 2026, Ohel performed “Yesh Li Sikui” (I Have a Chance) by Eviatar Banai at a concert to raise funds for his rehabilitation. He dedicated the song to fellow former hostage Eli Sharabi, who was attending the concert. The two developed a strong bond while they were held in Gaza, and each credited the other for encouraging him to survive.