I Read The News Today—Oh Boy!
Finally, Paul McCartney Performs in Israel.
Forty-three years ago, the Beatles were barred from playing a gig in Israel on the grounds that their music would have a corrupting influence on Israeli youth. Now, after an official apology earlier this year to Beatles members and their families offered by Ron Proser, Israel's ambassador to Britain, Paul McCartney will perform at an open-air concert Thursday night before an unprecedented crowd of more than 50,000 in Tel Aviv. Almost all the tickets have been sold, despite prices ranging from around $150 to $1,500 for mostly standing room at the concert.
For the past week, McCartney has topped news bulletins across Israel, almost crowding out reports on the Kadima Party primaries or Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's predictably anti-Semitic speech at the U.N. General Assembly. Radio stations have been blasting Beatles marathons and talk shows have debated who was the best, or worst, member of the group. The Israeli daily newspaper Ma'ariv invited the public to vote on the songs they wanted to hear and there has been a blanket cancellation of concerts scheduled for the same time. Tel Aviv's popular Tmuna Theater Club canceled a performance of leading Israeli singers. "We were told by the participating artists that they all intended to dump the show and go see McCartney. What could we do?" said Tali Hassin, public-relations manager, who is also going to the concert. The concert will be broadcast live on Israeli radio.
Even threats on McCartney's life from radical Islamist Omar Bakri, who dubbed McCartney "the enemy of every Muslim," haven't dampened Israel's high spirits. Extremist Jewish groups calling for a boycott have been shrugged off, as well. McCartney, whose concert is entitled "Friendship First," has so far kept a low profile, commenting that his performance in Israel is "quite apolitical"—a sentiment that many Israelis, who crave normalcy, long for. Since arriving in Israel early Wednesday morning, Macca has hunkered down in his heavily guarded hotel suite, while local paparazzi hover around, hoping to glimpse the star. Finally, Israelis can see the act they've known for all these years.
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: williambanzai7 @ 09/28/2008 1:39:36 AM
Comment:
OBLADI OBLADA (MARKET LIFE GOES ON)
(the Beatles)
(adapted by WilliamBanzai7)
Ben Bernanke plays backstop for the market place
Henry is cleaning up subprime quicksand
Bernanke says to Henry - we've got to save this place
And as he says this the two of them shake hands.
[ Chorus: ]
Obladi oblada markets go on bro
Lala how that market life goes on
Obladi Oblada markets go on bro
Lala how that market life goes on.
Bernanke takes a trolley from the Fed money store
Buys a 700 billion dollar bailout ring
Takes it back to Henry waiting at the door
And as he gives it to him the markets start to sing.
[ Chorus ]
In a couple of years they have refinanced
all our home sweet homes
With a couple of big banks running in the yard
And Hank and Ben sitting on the market throne.
Happy ever after in the market place
Bernanke lets the bankers lend a hand
Henry stays at home and keeps his poker face
And in the evening they both like
to sing out with the band.
[ Chorus ]
In a couple of years they have refinanced
all our home sweet homes
With a couple of big banks running in the yard
With Ben and Hank sitting on the market throne.
Happy ever after in the market place
Benrnanke lets the bankers lend a hand
Henry stays at home and keeps his poker face
And in the evening they both sing out with the band.
[ Chorus: ]
Obladi oblada markets go on bro
Lala how that market life goes on
Obladi Oblada markets go on bro
Lala how that market life goes on.
Posted By: weisblum1 @ 09/27/2008 12:35:37 PM
Comment: The only ones stealing land are the Brits in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ireland, Folklands etc... The last example of ethnic cleansing I heard of was of your forces bombing weddings and schools with the children inside. Before that you were doing that in Yeguslavia. Please read a little before you spit your ignorant biased nonsense regarding the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.
Posted By: weisblum1 @ 09/27/2008 12:31:44 PM
Comment: The only one stealing foreign land is your country in Iraq, Afghanistan and while at it bombing weddings and schools with the children inside. Before you spit your nonsense go study the fact a little.