Reports: Paul McCartney To Play Israel In September, 40 Years After Beatles Ban

JERUSALEM — Sir Paul McCartney is set to perform in Israel, 40 years after his legendary band, the Beatles, were banned from playing in the Holy Land.

Israeli media were abuzz with excitement on Sunday with news of McCartney's visit. The rock star was scheduled to play earlier in the year, but the show was canceled. Israeli media reported McCartney would perform in Tel Aviv on September 25.

Tel Aviv city officials could not be reached to confirm the report. McCartney's publicist, Stuart Bell said, "Nothing's been confirmed."

The Beatles were set to tour the Jewish state in 1965, but they were refused entry permits over concerns the group's lyrics could corrupt Israeli youth.

Comments

[spiderbucket]

04:09 PM on 09/10/2008

Beatles music should be spread far and wide. Nothing but good comes from that.

[spiderbucket]

04:05 PM on 09/10/2008

Beatles music should be spread wherever possible. It helped bring down the wall and end Communism ya know. For real. Maybe it would help young brainwashed minds wake up.

[MagisterLudi]

12:51 PM on 08/27/2008

Fact: Beatles were not banned. Concert was pipe dream idea of a concert promoter with no money for it. At that time Israel was poor. Anytime large amounts of foreign currency would need to leave the country, some committee's approval would be needed. This approval was denied... regardless the promoter actually had no money.... He spen the money to bring Cliff Richards (!) to Israel.
And eh... John Lennon was denied American visa.... so much for free West....
McCartney spent 10 days in Japan jail.... so much for free East....

[MagisterLudi]

12:11 PM on 08/27/2008

Banned? Typical uniformed nonsense.....

Concert was canceled because of a dispute between music promoters Giora Godik and Yaakov Uri.
In 1962, Godik received an offer from the Brian Epstein for a concert in Israel. Godik decided to bring Cliff Richard, instead. But when rival promoter Uri bought the rights for Beatles, Jealous Godik went to the Knesset's Finance Committee to convince them to bar the promoters from taking out foreign currency.
At the time, the Israel was very short on foreign currency and spending of serious cash required for the Beatles concert required government approval." His petition was granted. This had NOTHING to do with some moral issue. Regardless neither of the promoters had enough money.. it was all a pipe dream.

[republicratfascists]

05:16 AM on 08/26/2008

I wasn't aware of Sir Paul's support for apartheid, collective punishment, racism, torture and state sponsored terrorism. Now I know.

[MagisterLudi]

12:28 PM on 08/27/2008

He is not thats' why he never played in any Musl_im country.

[Bobleblah1]

02:02 PM on 08/25/2008

Why would he want to play there in the first place?

[MagisterLudi]

12:19 PM on 08/27/2008

great fans...

[FCBarca]

01:43 PM on 08/25/2008

Paul shouldn't be playing there in the first place, not until Palestine is free of occupation

[Nooneyouknow]

02:35 PM on 08/25/2008

I guess Sir Paul doesn't think the same way you do. You probably don't understand why.

[MagisterLudi]

12:25 PM on 08/27/2008

let me guess.... and china Olympics should've been boycotted... and ... and.... hey, relax and enjoy the music.

[darthdarcy]

11:09 PM on 08/24/2008

Corrupt Israeli youth..? That's Condi Rice's job..!

[robotfog]

10:05 PM on 08/24/2008

As long as he fries some minds, it's all going to be alright.

[873450]

09:46 PM on 08/24/2008

it couldn't have been concerns about corrupting Israeli youth with lyrics like "The word is love." and "We can work it out." that got The Beatles banned?

After all, they were banned in the USSR too.

It must have been all those subliminal messages they hid in the yellow submarine we all live in.

[mondobleu]

06:49 PM on 08/24/2008

The Beatles were champagne.
McCartney is Kool Aid in comparison.
Who cares where he plays with his cover band
Write great songs again, maybe we'll listen.

[Ericko]

07:08 PM on 08/24/2008

McCartney was at the heart and soul of the Beatles. If you don't know that you don't know anything about the Beatles. He is loved by millions and is keeping the Beatles message alive in a world that sorely needs it. Sad so many people live just to spread negativity. Macca Rules.

[Niceville]

09:33 PM on 08/24/2008

Paul McCartney was certainly a major part of the Beatles, to be sure.

But...most people will agree John Lennon was THE heart and soul of the Beatles.

[darthdarcy]

11:41 PM on 08/24/2008

McCartney is an incredibly talented gifted musician songwriter and singer maybe the most musical lyrical bass player to ever play Rock N Roll..!

[Ericko]

06:04 PM on 08/24/2008

Paul doesn't need the money, what a silly thing to say. And please don't try and speak for John Lennon and George Harrison (yeah I'm sure they'd be appalled Macca was spreading their message of peace and love to a place that sorely needs it). Keep on rockin Macca, the world needs your spirit.

[strangerinthenight]

04:40 PM on 08/24/2008

He doesn't look well - same drawn face for a while now. Hope he's ok.

[robotfog]

09:57 PM on 08/24/2008

He's 700 years old. What do you want him to look like?

I'd rather see Paul the way he is than botoxed to the gills.

[peepeeray]

03:45 PM on 08/24/2008

We can work it out,
We can work it out.
Life is very short, and there's no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend.

Little snippet of a #1 song released in late 1965 by the corrupting Beatles.

[robotfog]

10:00 PM on 08/24/2008

My theory is that you can tell the scum of the world by the songs they can't handle. Those nations afraid of Music concerning peace and love are the loser nations. You can also see this by how some american christians rant against Lennon's song "Imagine".

The songs are beautiful, the rat finks who feel the need to fear them are losers. The world will never grow until we shed ourselves of these peoples' small mindedness.

Nixon feared Beatles too. What a jerk.

[Destin]

03:41 PM on 08/24/2008

I bet Lennon is spinning in his grave over this, lol. Probably Harrison as well. I can't believe McCartney could become such a sell-out. And that's nothing to do with selling out concerts, lol. Means he is leaving his principles and convictions on the floor in favor of the almighty money.

[jrb35]

06:28 PM on 08/24/2008

Let me get this straight. Once a musician like McCartney reaches a certain level of success, playing music for fans becomes an act of selling out? What is wrong with you? He's a MUSICIAN! playing music is what musicians do. It's his job How is performing his music equal to "leaving his principles and convictions on the floor"? Just because he's rich is he suddenly obliged to perform for free?

You didn't know Lennon or Harrison so don't ever presume to guess how they would react in the afterlife.

[Niceville]

09:31 PM on 08/24/2008

"Means he is leaving his principles and convictions on the floor in favor of the almighty money."

Oh...come on now...

Do you think the Beatles existed for something other than to make money???

They did lead a revolution, of sorts. But...never think the Beatles weren't in it for the money.

[michie62]

12:37 AM on 08/25/2008

As peaceloving as George Harrison was/is, in the anthology he said he was always making sure they were getting paid. He was the one, even the others said in the anthology, that George was always checking the money and also telling Brian Epstein that they needed more then one day off at a time.