More popular than Jesus.

I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Israel this summer for the first time in 20 years.

Israel's Tourism Ministry is touting the country as a sunny destination and highlighting its two largest cities, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by using Bobby Hebb's 1966 song "Sunny".  However on my recent two week trip to the Middle East, I had another group from the 1960s continually entering my conscious.  It started with a trip to an Israeli hamburger chain that we dined in multiple times named Burgerim broadcasting the tag line "Come Together".  While I do not believe there is a deliberate connection between the restaurant and the 1969 Beatles song from Abbey Road, this was not the only Beatles reference I came across during my recent travels.

As we traveled throughout the country, it seemed like our rental car's radio had a preference for playing a song by the Beatles.  First it was the Beatles (1964's "And I Love Her"), then a member of The Beatles (Paul McCartney's 1983 "Say Say Say") and finally a local artist covering The Beatles (Tatran's "Strawberry Fields Forever").  Once out of the car, and walking along Ha-Meyasdim St in Zikhron Ya'akov (an artist colony at the southern end of the Carmel mountain range overlooking the Mediterranean Sea) The Beatles were blaring from a street vendor's stereo.  On a different evening, I was sitting along Ben Yehuda Street, a pedestrian mall in Jerusalem, and witnessed a musical duo (one of the members was an Israeli soldier) jamming on an acoustic guitar and harmonica to what could have been their best rendition of 1963's "Love Me Do".

All of these audio signs had me wondering if there any truths to The Beatles loving Israel back?  And the answer is no.  Fifty-two years after a proposed concert by The Beatles fell by the wayside (1966 for those scoring at home and the reasons for the cancellation appear to be tied to the corruptive influence the band might have on Israeli youth of the day), Paul McCartney took the honors as the first Beatle to perform in Israel.   For the 45,000 in attendance at  the show in Tel Aviv's Park Hayarkon in 2008, they were treated to Sir Paul showering them in Hebrew with lines like "Shalom Tel Aviv, shana tova" and some greatest hits.   Not to be outdone, earlier this year Ringo Starr performed two nights at the Menorah Mivtahim Arena in Tel Aviv. These shows are highly anticipated, most likely due to many artists choosing to bypass this region.  But at the same time, there is something special in the air of cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

I am not well-traveled internationally, so my guess is that what I saw and heard in Israel is not unique when it comes to The Beatles.  However, in my opinion, it speaks to the magnitude of influence that the band continues to carry.  Please let me remind you that the band has been "broken up" since 1969, but there are still Beatles tribute bands like Israel's Magical Mystery Tour, who will be teaming up in October 2019 with the Israel Chamber Orchestra to bring the Fab Four's songs to life in a series of shows across the country.

Thanks for reading.