On a visit to The Beatles museum in Liverpool on January 28th, Israeli ambassador to Britain, Ron Prosor, handed a letter of apology to Julia Bird, Lennon’s sister, expressing regret over the snub of 1965, which he said came about through “a misunderstanding.”

It was believed at the time that a live appearance by the band in Tel Aviv could be a threat to the morals of the nation’s youth.

The move is expected to clear the way for Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to join the May celebrations commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel.

The decision to ban the act came in the tense period immediately before the Six-Day War, when Prosor was only 7 years old.

In the same year, the band was awarded MBEs, toured the U.S. and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. The revelation that they smoked dope in the toilets at Buckingham Palace came later.