After a 43-year wait, Paul McCartney performed his first concert in Israel tonight kicking it off with the familiar Beatles’ song “Hello, Goodbye” to the joy of tens of thousands of cheering fans.

NADAV COHEN (Letters, June 2) must be aware that Zionism began as a secular movement and is in fact strenuously resisted on religious grounds by increasingly vocal Orthodox Jewish scholars, such as Yakov Rabkin, whose book, A Century of Jewish Opposition to Zionism, is most enlightening.

PRIME MINISTER Ariel Sharon is determined to withdraw Israeli troops and settlers from much of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon is determined to withdraw troops and settlers from much of the Gaza Strip, despite a mounting corruption probe that could drive him out of office, a close ally said today.

ARIEL SHARON’S future as Israeli leader was in grave doubt last night as he faced possible charges following the indictment of a property developer on charges of bribing the prime minister.