Mccartney: 'I Won't Pull Israel Show'

The Beatles legend is due to play a show in Tel Aviv later this month (Sep08) - 43 years after a Fab Four concert in the country was scrapped by officials amid fears it could corrupt youngsters.

And the Hey Jude hitmaker is adamant his solo show will go ahead after protesters urged him to cancel it in protest over Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

MCCartney tells Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth: "I refused. I do what I think, and I have many friends who support Israel."

And, asked how he felt when the Beatles were barred from playing in the country at the height of their fame in 1965, he says, "(It was) a bit insulting. The Beatles had a pretty positive influence on the world and only regimes that wanted to control their peoples were afraid of us.

"We mostly laughed at the Israeli government decision."

The Tel Aviv show is scheduled to take place on 25 September (08).