Paul McCartney aims to spread peace message in Israel

Sep 25 2008 by Alan Weston, Liverpool Daily Post

SIR PAUL McCartney tried to defuse the controversy over his first concert in Israel today, by making a surprise visit to the West Bank.

The former Beatle arrived in Israel yesterday ahead of the historic concert, telling fans at Ben-Gurion airport he wanted to bring “a message of peace and love” to the Middle East.

Sir Paul’s one-off concert will be his first in the country, after the Beatles were famously banned from playing there 43 years ago at the height of their fame, amid fears that youngsters would be corrupted.

Radical cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed had urged Sir Paul to cancel his latest visit out “of respect of the feelings of Muslims in Palestine” and because of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.

Following his arrival, the 66-year-old toured the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem – the shrine revered as the birthplace of Jesus – where he took pictures and lit two candles for peace.

Outside the church, Sir Paul said: “All we need is peace in the region and a two-state solution.

“I am bringing a message of peace and I think that’s what the region needs.”

Later he visited The Edward Said National Conservatory Of Music, a music school for children in Bethlehem.

The students, who were aged between five and 14, were shocked by Sir Paul’s last-minute visit as he chatted to them and joined in with rehearsals.

Sir Paul said: “I’d heard about the great work of the school, so I was really interested to actually see it for myself.

“Music is a universal language and something everybody can unite over and enjoy together.

“The work they do here is inspiring and important. The students are from different backgrounds and the school offers the opportunity to people that might not normally be able to get this kind of expert education.

“As I’m in Israel, I thought, ‘well, I’m not here everyday, so I’d like to go and see some things’, so I used the opportunity to come to Bethlehem.”

Enthusiastic fans earlier turned out to greet Sir Paul outside his hotel in Tel Aviv on Wednesday – and the star stopped to sign autographs and flash peace signs at the crowd.

Inside, he met the press, throwing a variety of rock star poses and joking with reporters: “It is me.”

Israel’s radio stations have flooded the airwaves with classic Beatles tracks ahead of tonight’s show, which is dubbed Friendship First.

Speaking before his arrival in Tel Aviv about the Israeli state ban on the Beatles’ performing in 1965, Sir Paul said: “They said we were bad for the youth of Israel, and I think that was a mistake – I don’t think we were that bad.

“But you know what . . . we took it as fun, it didn’t really worry us we just went off and played somewhere else.

“Our manager, Brian Epstein, who was Jewish, was, I think, more insulted than we were.”

alanweston@dailypost.co.uk