Netanyahu on board, was due to depart JFK in front of TWA 800. They asked for a delay (not unusual in the day of INS) and pulled into a holding area. TWA 800 took off in El Al’s time slot.
I never heard this before. Are there any sources? And what was Bibi at that time, officially?
Honestly, I read about this back about the time when the investigation was underway. I’ll try to research the source.
I’m not even sure if it was Bibi or the Prime Minister of Israel, at the time. Let me check it out.
There was also a radar plot on the internet, that has probably since disappeared, that showed an object estimated at about 600 mph intersecting with TWA 800 and then disappearing along with the transponder display of TWA 800.
This is the only mention of the El Al flight I found from a quick and dirty search.
Another rumor that was circulating at the time Flight 800 was downed was that Henry Kissinger was on board. After running the European Station Chief’s story past several of our American sources, they felt that Kissinger being on board, would explain how the government could have tricked a home grown terrorist group into downing that particular plane. Yes, it was TWA 800 that was the target, not the EL Al plane that was scheduled to leave at that time.
I do recall a friend of mine who was a senior ATC controller and had friends at the JFK TRACON told me about this and it was a common theory at the TRACON. That said, it is merely heresay for me.
I’ll keep after it.