Israelis chant "Bring Them Home!" at Coldplay concert, Chris Martin singles out Israeli boy

Israelis in the audience at a Coldplay concert in Athens on Sunday chanted “Bring them home!” following a performance of “Yellow,” one of the group’s top hits, because the color yellow has come to symbolize the plight of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

At the same show, the group’s frontman Chris Martin singled out an Israeli boy in the audience holding a sign in memory of Shir Eilat, one of the border observers murdered on October 7 when the Nahal Oz base was overrun by Hamas.

The sign said, in English, “I want to sing with you,” and in Hebrew, “Your song will play forever,” with a picture of the fallen soldier and her name. The phrase was a play on words because “Shir” is Hebrew for “song.” Martin asked the boy to put aside the sign so he could see his face and asked his name, which was Ori Avodi.

Jews and Israelis celebrate hostage rescue

As Ori’s face appeared on an on-stage screen, Martin said, “Hey, my brother, I have to ask if you believe in the power of magic. Do you believe in the power of magic? Of course. Of course we do. I need you to close your eyes, close your eyes, and I need you to make something special happen. I need you to think for five seconds and I need for you to create fireworks in your mind.” Ori closed his eyes, and Martin continued, “Do you think you can do this?”

He began counting down and told the boy to keep thinking of fireworks. At the countdown’s end, fireworks erupted over the stadium and the boy opened his eyes in delight.

The moment came about, according to the Mako website,  because the boy hoped to draw Martin’s attention, and his mother, Anat, told him he needed to have a sign. They picked up a piece of cardboard and wrote the English message with her lipstick. They saw someone holding a sticker with a picture of Eilat on it and she agreed to add the sticker to their sign. Recalled Anat, “I turned to her and asked if she wanted us to put the sticker on Ori's sign, and if [Martin] noticed him, we would convey another positive message that is important for us as a nation  -- and the rest is history."

"My dream was always to fly to a concert. I managed to convince my mother,” said Ori.

Eilat, 20, was a captain in the IDF who was one of 15 female border observers killed during the Hamas invasion. Witnesses said she continued carrying out her duties and helping her fellow soldiers until her death.

Amir Rosen, an Israeli who attended the concert, spoke to the Walla news site about the chants to return the hostages at the concert: “It was moving to see all the Israelis in front of people from everywhere in the world not forgetting for even a moment and reminding everyone that we are here, we are staying here, and we will not be whole until all the hostages come home.” 

Also at Coldplay’s Athens show, Israeli comedian Guy Hochman tried to jump on the stage wrapped in the national flag, but instead fell and broke a rib. Martin expressed concern for his mental and physical well-being. Martin has been to Israel a few times and in 2019 visited the Bustan Yafa bilingual kindergarten in Jaffa. He has donated to the Orchard of Abraham’s Children Foundation which runs a network of such programs.  

On Saturday, Israelis in Athens burst into song as they heard the news of the rescue by IDF forces of four hostages – Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shomi Ziv – who were being held in Gaza. They danced and sang “Ha Tikva,” Israel’s national anthem, as well as other patriotic songs such as, “Hevenu Shalom Aleichem (We Brought Peace Unto You)” and “Am Israel Chai!”