Omer Adam performing at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 19, 2025. Photo: Shiryn Ghermezian/The Algemeiner

Israeli-American pop singer Omer Adam performed a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the first time ever on Sunday night and opened his show with a special tribute to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Israeli hostages returning home from Hamas captivity in Gaza, and US President Donald Trump.

Before Adam came out on stage in front of 20,000 people, screens behind the stage showed footage from the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, followed by videos and photos of IDF soldiers fighting in Gaza. The screens then displayed clips of the former hostages reuniting with their families in Israel and concluded with footage from Trump’s address to Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, last week.

Trump traveled to Israel last week and spoke at the Knesset after his administration brokered the ceasefire and hostage-release deal to halt fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. All the living hostages still in captivity were released as part of the agreement.

The audience at Adam’s concern saw excerpts from Trump’s speech in which he said, “The State of Israel is strong, and will live and thrive forever,” “I love Israel,” and “Never Forget. Never Again.”

Before Omer Adam came out on stage at MSG last night, the audience saw this video montage that paid tribute to the returned hostages and President Trump. pic.twitter.com/GWZeUyeR7S

— Shiryn Gher (@ShirynGhermez) October 20, 2025

Adam, 32, then made his entrance on stage to perform a medley of songs that included tracks from his latest album, “Symptoms of a Breakup,” as well as some of his classic hits, such as “Tel Aviv” and “Hopa.” He also welcomed Israeli singer Odeya on stage and together they performed their collaboration “Shushi” before Odeya performed a solo song.

Adam paused the concert early on to thank American Jews for their support for Israel amid its war against Hamas in Gaza and to praise IDF soldiers, including reservists and active-duty troops, who he described as “the strongest and most moral army in the world.” He also thanked Trump “and his senior diplomatic team for their unwavering support” for the citizens of Israel. The singer concluded by shouting “Am Israel Chai” (“Long Live Israel”).

Later in the show, Adam led the crowd in singing the Jewish prayer songs “Modeh Ani” and “Vehi Sheamda,” which is about God’s promise to protect the Jewish people. During a portion of the concert where Adam again talked about the hostages and showed images of their emotional reunion with their families, he also urged people to continue to pray for the fallen hostages whose bodies are still being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. “May they soon be brought back for burial in Israel,” Adam told the crowd.

Hamas has still not handed over the remains of 15 deceased hostages, violating its obligation under the ceasefire to release everyone who was abducted during the Oct. 7 atrocities.

Adam is Israel’s most successful singer of all time, with over 1.4 billion views collectively on YouTube. His concert on Sunday night was attended by some celebrity guests as well, including Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli, jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz, and actress Sofia Vergara. After the show, hundreds of fans gathered outside Madison Square Garden to collectively sing the Hebrew song “Avinu Shebashamayim,” also known as the Prayer for the State of Israel.

The scene outside of Madison Square Garden after Omer Adam’s sold-out concert last night pic.twitter.com/JI1PjnUzBw

— Shiryn Gher (@ShirynGhermez) October 20, 2025