Bugging device found in bathroom after Netanyahu used it, claims British ex-PM

In his book, Unleashed, Boris Johnson writes that after Netanyahu visited his department in 2017, his security team found listening devices in the bathroom after the Israeli Prime Minister had used it.

In Short

• Boris Johnson claims bugging device found in his bathroom in 2017
• Johnson's book alleges bug was in bathroom used by Netanyahu
• Israel previously accused of spying on friendly nations

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has claimed that a bugging device was found in his personal bathroom after it was used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In his book, Unleashed, Boris Johnson writes that after Netanyahu visited his department in 2017, his security team found listening devices in the bathroom after the Israeli Prime Minister had used it.

"Thither Bibi (Netanyahu) repaired for a while, and it may or may not be a coincidence but I am told that later, when they were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox," Johnson writes in his book.

Netanyahu, who was then on his first-ever visit to the London office, asked to use the bathroom that Johnson, who was then the Foreign Secretary, describes as similar to "the gents in a posh London club” which exists within a "secret annex".

Notably, Israel has been accused of snooping on friendly nations in the past as well. In 2019, the US government said that Israel was most likely behind the placement of cellphone surveillance devices that were found near the White House and other sensitive locations around Washington, according to a Politico report.

However, Netanyahu denied the report, and then US President Donald Trump also called it "hard to believe".

The UK has also been accused of spying on Israel’s government and missions abroad, based on leaked US intelligence obtained in 2016 by French newspaper Le Monde.