PlayMcCartney visits Palestinian school
Published: Wednesday, 24 September 2008, 11:14PM
Sir Paul McCartney has courted controversy ahead of his first concert in Israel.
The Beatles were famously banned from playing in the Jewish state 43 years ago amid fears that youngsters would be corrupted.
Radical Islamic cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed urged Sir Paul to cancel the visit out "of respect of the feelings of Muslims in Palestine".
But the star defended his decision to play in the Israeli capital Tel Aviv as he paid a surprise visit to a music school in Palestine.
He joined in rehearsals at The Edward Said National Conservatory Of Music in Bethlehem.
Sir Paul said: "I could have just stayed in Israel and just said forget it, don't go, but I made a special effort to come here."
He added: "I am here to highlight the situation and to say that I think that what we need is peace in this region, a two states solution."
Asked if he was going to call for a Palestinian state at the concert, the former Beatle, who once dabbled in political statements with the banned 1972 single Give Ireland Back to the Irish, replied: "I don't know. I will be singing."
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