Following Anwar Sadat 's ascension to the Egyptian presidency , Libya 's relations with Egypt deteriorated . Over the coming years , the two slipped into a state of cold war . Sadat was perturbed by Gaddafi 's unpredictability and insistence that Egypt required a cultural revolution akin to that being carried out in Libya . In February 1973 , Israeli forces shot down Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114 , which had strayed from Egyptian airspace into Israeli-held territory during a sandstorm . Gaddafi was infuriated that Egypt had not done more to prevent the incident , and in retaliation planned to destroy the , a British ship chartered by American Jews to sail to Haifa for Israel 's 25th anniversary . Gaddafi ordered an Egyptian submarine to target the ship , but Sadat cancelled the order , fearing a military escalation
Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114
Libyan Arab Airlines Flight 114
Muammar Gaddafi