McCartney delivers "message of peace"

Sir Paul McCartney performed his first concert in Israel last night, after The Beatles were banned in 1965 for fear they would corrupt the country's youth.

McCartney began his set with the Beatles song 'Hello, Goodbye' before announcing that he was on a mission of peace for Israel and the Palestinians, reports The Associated Press.

As he sang John Lennon's 'Give Peace A Chance', the 66-year-old stopped and let the audience sing the chorus.

"Here tonight you sang it, you want it," he said, dedicating the song to the fellow Beatle, who was killed in New York in 1980.

A mass security force was put in place after death threats were made against McCartney by extremists. He vowed that the concert in honour of Israel's 60th birthday would go ahead, saying he wanted to take a message of "peace and love" to the Middle East.

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