Official circles today strongly denied that any deal was in the making between Israel and Algeria for the release of the hijacked El Al jet airliner and its 12 Israeli passengers and crewmen. They said rumors of a deal may have been propagated by Algerian authorities as part of their “war of nerves” against Israel. They reiterated that Israel stands by its demands for the unconditional release of the plane and the detainees.
Travel agents here meanwhile reported feeling the effects of an undeclared boycott by Israelis against Swissair, the national airline of Switzerland, apparently for its refusal to go along with the boycott of Algeria called last week but cancelled. Swissair, long a favorite carrier among Israelis bound to and from Europe, operates 12 flights a week to Tel Aviv compared to only two a week to Algeria, but the company persuaded its pilots not to participate in the boycott action. Travel agents here pointed out that Swissair does more business with Israel than with all of the Arab countries combined.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
