Agam Berger Performs at Air Force Graduation After Hostage Release

As the Israeli Air Force celebrated its 190th graduating class of pilots, one of the ceremony’s most stirring moments came not from the roar of jets, but from the quiet, haunting notes of a violin. On Thursday, former Gaza hostage Agam Berger took the stage alongside the IDF military band at Hatzerim Airbase, performing the emotional piece "They Will Always Wait for You."

Berger, an IDF observer who was kidnapped by Hamas from the Nahal Oz base on October 7, was released in January 2025 after enduring months in captivity. Her return to the national stage was not just symbolic it was deeply personal. As the orchestra swelled behind her, the violinist’s presence embodied both the cost of Israel’s ongoing struggle and the unbreakable spirit of those who serve.

The event was attended by President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently in Washington, was notably absent.

Before her abduction, Berger had been on the path to becoming a commander. A graduate of the “Acharei” program and a year-long prep service in Akko, she excelled in her observer training, earning a role as platoon commander’s assistant and a nomination to the elite ‘Stars’ track for officer candidates. When asked why she aspired to command, she wrote: "To give soldiers a sense of faith and security."

Berger was transferred to Nahal Oz just one week before the October 7 attacks. There, she was kidnapped alongside fellow IDF observers Naama Levy, Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Ori Megidish, and Noa Marciano. All but Marciano have since returned. Marciano was murdered in captivity; Megidish was rescued in an IDF-Shin Bet operation.

This performance delivered with her signature determination and grace was not just a song. It was a message. A message to the graduates taking flight, to the families still waiting, and to all of Israel: we have not forgotten, and we will never stop believing.

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