Miscellaneous questions about Paul McCartney | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Paul’s conversion to Judaism seems to have the status of a rumor, from what I can glean from some Googling.  I never knew Linda was Jewish.  She would be yet another Jewish person who doesn’t “look Jewish” (to my perception) to add to the list of Jewish celebrities — William Shatner, Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn…

mccartneyalarm said
Interesting about the Eastman’s last name originally being Epstein (kinda’ creepy) Now, I just read that Paul is going to go ahead with some concerts in Israel despite getting death threats. Wonder if his desire to perform there is a clue to his conversion to the Jewish faith?

Paul also bravely went ahead to perform in Israel in 2008 — before his supposed “conversion”.

meanmistermustard said
It might just be possible Paul wants to play in Israel as he has fans there. I know its a strange concept.

Sure; but the context in terms of other musicians is more complicated — unlike for any other place on the planet, as this article from Israel National News describes:

Dozens of other artists who schedule dates in Israel are lobbied, bullied, threatened, and even attacked at concerts by anti-Israel groups who are bent on isolating Israel culturally, as well as economically. Many artists, said Shay, claimed that their web sites have been attacked by hackers right before their Israeli concerts.

Alicia Keys, who recently played a concert here last week, supplies the latest example of intimidation faced by artists who play Israel. Several of her fellow singers – notably Elvis Costello and Roger Waters – urged her to cancel, calling Israel an “apartheid state,” and Keys’ Facebook page was littered with condemnations of her on the day of the concert. Costello himself cancelled a concert in Israel in 2010, as did Carlos Santana, after being hectored by anti-Israel groups. Other notables who have cancelled planned concerts in Israel are Jon Bon Jovi, the Yardbirds, Joe Lynn Turner, and the Pixies. Spanish singer Paco Ibanez went one better, telling a French newspaper that he is boycotting the Hebrew language, which he can speak, for political reasons.

But despite the pressure and threats, there are many artists who continue to play Israel. In the past month, rock bands Deep Purple and the Pet Shop Boys have held concerts in Israel, and American artist Rihanna is scheduled to take her second tour here in October. And of course, there was Madonna.

Many of these artists, Shay said, decided to perform in Israel despite the threats. “When singer Moby was interviewed on Army Radio shortly before he performed in Israel, he said that the intensity of the attacks against him before he came to Israel made him suspect that this wasn’t an objective movement that was concerned with people’s welfare, but with something dark and dubious.” Unfortunately, though, “most artists just don’t want to deal with it. It’s much easier for them to release a statement that they won’t be appearing in Israel ‘for reasons of conscience’ rather than to say their lives are being threatened and they’re frightened.”

http://www.israelnationalnews……eI8U6CXQ1L

meanmistermustard said
My point was that Paul playing in Israel doesn’t necessarily point to him becoming a Jew. Regardless of what’s happening in any country and any statements made by playing or not (and musicians have to be aware and alert to who and where they are performing) surely Paul would want to play there for his fans (and by fans I don’t mean Royalty, Tyrants, Rulers, Revolutionaries etc).

And my point is that there is such a general prejudice against Israel among pop artists, why would Paul be immune?  Except that he isn’t, so good for him.  That makes him distinctive among pop artists today (with a few exceptions), apparently.