By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency

Jerusalem, Israel --- September 14, 2008 ..... In what is truly becoming a Magical Mystery Tour, former Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney has been threatened with death by Islamic terrorists if he comes to Israel for a concert.

Dennis Rice, a freelance journalist and reporter for the Sunday Express has been in contact with the Israel News Agency and other Israel news and governmental organizations seeking for and finding the answer to "Has McCartney been threatened if he plays in Israel?"
Rice's investigative journalism went deep as he found that Islamic terrorist Omar Bakri claiming the former Beatle’s decision to take part in Israel's 60th anniversary celebrations had made him an enemy of all Muslims.

Sources close to McCartney said Sir Paul was shocked but refused to be intimidated.

The celebrated rock star will arrive in Israel as part of a world tour and will give a single concert at Tel Aviv's Park Hayarkon on September 25.

In an interview with Israel media yesterday McCartney told Israel TV Channel 2: “I was approached by different groups and political bodies who asked me not to come here. I refused. I do what I think and I have many friends who support Israel.”

Israel security analysts believe that the threats on McCartney's life are real, but pose no danger to McCartney while he is in Israel.

 

"McCartney will enjoy the same extensive security protection as the Israel Prime Minister, President and other heads of state who visit Israel," the analyst said. "Israel is respected for having the world's best security organizations, as both their real time intelligence and field activities are at the highest alert level 24 hours a day. We don't train, we are acting on and neutralizing terrorists threats every hour. What McCartney needs to be concerned about is his security upon leaving Israel. His rides on buses and in subways will now need to have increased security personnel in place. Islamic terrorists are not lone reporters and photographers who stalk, they also act on intelligence gathered from their own networks."

The security analyst states that McCartney is no different than any other Christian or Jew in the free world.

"McCartney is considered an infidel, as all non-Muslims are. As such the penalty is death. Those who attacked the World Trade Center seven years ago in 9/11 were attacking "infidels" in mass and did not even care to consider how many peaceful Muslims would be murdered as they were working with the infidels. What separates McCartney now from the common man, is that he has taken his creative genius one step beyond music. By coming to Israel, Sir Paul McCartney has become an icon for democracy, freedom, peace and liberty. Whatever accomplishments McCartney may have achieved as a Beatle are now small compared to risking his life for the very basic principles of democracy and free speech. The man is truly a hero."

Syria born Bakri, 48, stated: “I heard today that the pop star Paul McCartney is playing as a part of the celebrations.

“Instead of supporting the people of Palestine in their suffering, McCartney is celebrating the atrocities of the occupiers. The one who is under occupation is supposed to be getting the help. And so I believe for Paul McCartney, what he is doing really is creating more enemies than friends.” Bakri stated: “Our enemy’s friend is our enemy. Thus Paul McCartney is the enemy of every Muslim. We have what we call ‘sacrifice’ operatives who will not stand by while he joins in a celebration of their oppression. If he values his life Mr McCartney must not come to Israel. He will not be safe there. The sacrifice operatives will be waiting for him.”

 

A spokesman for Sir Paul declined to comment on the threat, saying: “Paul’s Friendship First concert is about his music. Paul’s is a message of peace.”

But not all Muslims want death for McCartney.

Omar Barghouti, of The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, described the threat as “deplorable”.

In an interview on Israel TV Channel Two, Sir Paul McCartney described his experience as a Beatle and his feelings about the upcoming Friendship First tour to Israel.

When asked if he knew why the Beatles were not allowed to come to Israel the first time back in 1965 and that the Beatles were seen by the Israel government as a bad influence on our youth, McCartney responded: "no, I didn't know that (laughter)... and the only other place we were forbidden to perform was Russia! But I'm coming now."

Last night, McCartney came close to playing in Russia as he performed his first concert in the Ukraine, playing to tens of thousands in the capital Kiev.

Israel Channel Two asked how do you choose what music to perform? Are you going to play a lot of Beatles songs in Israel? "Well, I have a great band; what we do is write down all the tunes we want to perform - some Beatles songs, some Wings songs, some other songs - things we think the audience wants to hear, and I like to throw in a few different songs, something unusual, to give the set an edge," said McCartney. "Then, we play through everything and eliminate those songs we just don't play well or don't seem to fit. It's really that simple."

McCartney was asked why did the Beatles break up when they did?
"Well, there were many reasons really," McCartney said. "We were having internal business problems. We brought in a business manager from New York; I didn't like what he wanted to do, and we found ourselves arguing within the group. It was rather like a bad marriage. So, we decided that after all, we had really come full circle - in fact, the last album cover was shot in the same place as the first, so we really had come full circle - and that this was a good time to split up. Once we decided, we all relaxed and everything was then better between us."

When asked that after all these years, songs, concerts aren't you tired of it? Don't get you bored?
McCartney responded with a smile: "no, this is what I love; I love writing music; I love bringing people together; I love performing; this is my passion; I love to get the feedback from the audience."

The Israel audience might be very well deterred by the expensive ticket prices, ranging from NIS 460-500 (150 USD) for standing room to NIS 1,400 -1,600 (400 USD) for seats near the stage. The average wage in Israel is 1,500 USD per month, placing these McCartney tickets far out of reach for the ordinary Israeli. But now that McCartney is risking his life to play in Israel, many Israelis may sacrifice a few meals just to hear a man as fearless as they are.

All the same Tel Aviv's Park Hayarkon has a capacity for a crowd of 70,000 people and ticket sales may have reached their saturation point for the elite at about 25,000 people.

The up-front costs for the McCartney concert will be paid by businessman Yakir Sha'ashua, 37, who stepped in after Israel cell phone operator Partner backed out of financing the event. Sha'ashua owns an aviation company specializing in private jet and helicopter services for VIPs, as well as a real estate company active in Britain, the United States and Russia.

As witnessed in a Web 2.0 Facebook group entitled Israel Welcomes Beatles Sir James Paul McCartney To Tel Aviv many Israelis are now begging Sha'ashua, McCartney's manager Barry Marshall and Israel show promoter Dudu Zerzevsky to reduce the cost of the concert tickets.

The Paul McCartney show is expected to cost upward of $8 million to produce and will require a 100-person production team, extensive security, an extra-large stage, an expansive sound system, and two vegetarian kitchens at the show's location.

The producers of the single appearance by Paul McCartney in Israel expect to break even with a take of 10 million NIS on the event. These numbers kick in before any sponsorships take place. The businessman backing the event, Yakir Sha'ashua believes it will attract a capacity crowd to Tel Aviv's Hayarkon Park, which can accommodate up to 70,000 people.

The Israel business newspaper Globes states that the cost of bringing Beatle Paul McCartney to Israel will reach over NIS 30 million, half of which will go to McCartney and his promoters, while the other half will cover production costs. Price now stand at NIS 1,500 for a front row ticket and NIS 500 for just a seat on grass in the park. The promoters will have to sell 50,000 tickets only to cover the cost. This is the initial quantity which will go on sale at the Leean ticket offices.

Israel Channel Two asked Sir Paul that now that you are coming to play in Israel, there are those who are protesting your appearance here. What do you say about that?
"You know, finally, you just have to listen to your heart and do what you think is right," said McCartney." "I'm coming to play music and to bring people together, at least that's my intention. I just want to make people happy."

Will the Islamic threats on McCartney's life and those going to the concert deter Israelis from enjoying his music?

Israelis live with terror threats every day. We serve in the Israel Defense Forces. We volunteer for police duty. We have security guards checking bags and profiling people at the entrances of our shopping centers, restaurants and inside our buses. If anything will keep an Israeli away it will be the expensive price ticket for the concert.

Sir Paul McCartney, who enjoys meeting ordinary people, riding on buses and tubes with them, should give the order to reduce the ticket price. Sir Paul and his good friends John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr have now transcended their legends as music's greatest, most creative producers.
Paul McCartney now stands tall as a respected humanitarian representing peace and friendship. One should be not be surprised if members of the Palestinian Authority who have also placed their lives at risk confronting Iran backed Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah will be attending the concert.

Sir Paul, who has wealth and comfort, should now truly place his "Pipes of Peace" music before entrance sales and garner the largest possible physical audience he can gather.
McCartney's audience on September 25 will not be limited to just those in Israel, but to every peace seeking activist and supporters of democracy and free speech around the world.

If Sir Paul wants to get his message out of "Peace In The Neighbourhood" and "Helping each other out" he needs to sit next to more ordinary people. Both Israelis and Palestinians. In doing so, he could reinforce and leap well beyond the historic "Imagine" peace lyrics of John Lennon.

And brave Paul has nothing to fear.
The Mossad, the Shabak and MI5 are watching his back.

 

The above news content was edited and SEO optimized in Israel for the Internet by the Leyden Communications Group.

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