Paul McCartney Makes History in Tel Aviv

More than 40 years after the only scheduled Beatles concert in Israel was mysteriously canceled, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney took center stage in Tel Aviv in front of an audience of more than 40,000, according to the Associated Press.

The "Friendship First" concert kicked off with the familiar Beatles tune, "Hello, Goodbye." McCartney said the concert was part of his mission for peace between Israel and Palestine.

McCartney paused during "Give Peace a Chance" to let the tens of thousands of fans sing the chorus. He dedicated the song to his former bandmate, John Lennon, who was killed in 1980.

McCartney issued greetings in Hebrew and Arabic, telling Israelis "shana tova," meaning happy new year, and "Ramadan kareem" to Muslims, who are celebrating their holy month.

Thursday's concert was decades in the making, said McCartney. He promised his fans in Tel Aviv "the night they have been waiting decades for."

Numerous terrorist and death threats were made against the 66-year-old star, who enlisted the help of more than 5,000 bodyguards as he toured Israel.

A small group of Palestinians called for McCartney to cancel his concert, claiming it promoted the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.

"I get criticized everywhere I go, but I don't listen to them," McCartney said. "I'm bringing a message of peace, and I think that's what the region needs."