Sir Paul in 'pipes of peace' call

The concert is Sir Paul's only scheduled gig in North America this year

Quebec nationalists opposed to a free gig in the Canadian city this weekend by Sir Paul McCartney should "smoke the pipes of peace", the singer has said.

He spoke out after artists and politicians questioned his involvement in the 400th anniversary celebrations of French-speaking Quebec City.

They say his presence is inappropriate because of Britain's conquest of New France - including Quebec - in 1760.

His comments, made on Radio Canada, refer to his 1983 hit Pipes of Peace.

I'm friendly with German people and, by that argument, I should never go to Germany or they should never come here Sir Paul McCartney

"I think it's time to smoke the pipes of peace and to just, you know, put away your hatchet because I think it's a show of friendship," the former Beatle said, ahead of the open-air concert on Sunday.

"I'm very friendly with the French people that I know.

"I know people of all nationalities and, hey, I'm friendly with German people and, by that argument, I should never go to Germany or they should never come here."

The concert will take place on the Plains of Abraham - the site of the crucial 1759 battle between British General James Wolfe and France's Marquis Louis-Joseph de Montcalm.

"The kind of thing I read about in the schoolbooks was� who was General Wolfe?" he joked.

"I still haven't figured it out."

Israel offer

Sir Paul, 66, added that he would be speaking some French to the crowd.

"I always look forward to an opportunity to use another language," he added.

Organisers are expecting a crowd of about 200,000 at the concert - his only scheduled live appearance in North America this year.

Sir Paul is reportedly considering an offer to play a concert in Israel in September - 43 years after the country banned the Beatles, fearing they would corrupt young fans.

Earlier this year, the Israeli ambassador to London, Ron Prosor, said Sir Paul, Ringo Starr and relatives of John Lennon and George Harrison would receive a warm welcome there.

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