John Ondrasik: After Iran Attack, Push to Free the Hostages

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter John Ondrasik said Sunday that in the wake of the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, it is time to make a push to force Hamas to release its remaining Israeli hostages.

Ondrasik, leader of the band Five For Fighting, has been a devoted advocate for the freedom of the hostages, more than 250 of whom were kidnapped by Hamas during its terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Ondrasik has traveled to Israel to perform and to speak at rallies for the hostages. He has also released new songs about the hostages to raise awareness and create diplomatic and political pressure for their freedom.

He recently reimagined his song “Superman,” which became a hit after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the U.S., for the hostages.

Last week, Ondrasik wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal about “Superman” and the hostages. He said:

“Superman” isn’t political. It’s emotional. It’s all of us. I can’t understand how connecting it to the obvious cause of Israeli hostages unleashed a torrent of hate from people who have never listened to the lyrics, never watched the video, and never cared to understand what this moment is truly about. To them, taking a stand—any stand—means choosing sides in someone else’s war. Yet the hostages aren’t political. This is a basic moral issue.

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed that it had led a covert mission to recover the bodies of three hostages from Gaza, leaving about 50 still in captivity, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive.