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Sir Paul welcomed to Israel 43 years after ban
Paul McCartney arrived in Israel last night, drawing front-page news coverage. The concert is not only newsworthy because of public death threats the aging rock star received in advance of an outdoor concert tomorrow night in Tel Aviv.
He comes to Israel 43 years after his former group, the Beatles, was barred from playing in the Jewish State because the government deemed the music a corrupting influence on Israeli youth.
In 1965, Israel was a cultural backwater with no television stations and two public radio stations. Young people listened to American and European pop music from radio stations in neighboring Jordan or Cyprus.
For some, the Beatles cancellation was a big disappointment.
“The first time I heard, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand,’ it sounded great. It sounded amazing,” said Menachem Granit, a radio station program director in Jerusalem, who was 14 when the Beatles were set to perform in Israel.
It’s been a long time since anyone considered McCartney dangerous and these days mainstream Israeli society covets Western pop culture. McCartney is considered the biggest star to ever play in Israel. Nearly 40,000 tickets have been sold at roughly $140 a pop.
Granit will be there, too, broadcasting part of the concert.
“I’ll be backstage,” he said, “hoping to get a photo with Paul McCartney.”
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