Boris Johnson claims he found bugging device after meeting with PM Netanyahu

Former-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed in his book Unleashed that he discovered a bugging device, used for listening in on private conversations, in his personal bathroom at the Foreign Office after he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2017.

Johnson claimed that his security team found the device after Netanyahu had used the bathroom.

“...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 (a slang term for bathroom),” Johnson wrote in his book. 

When asked for further details by the Telegraph, Johnson responded “I think everything you need to know about that episode is in the book.”

The Prime Minister’s Office has not yet responded to Johnson’s claims. 

Israeli spyware and accusations

Israel was accused of planting listening devices around the same time in the White House, the Telegraph reported.

Israel has also been accused of spying on the ICC for decades, according to accusations made by anonymous officials to the Guardian in May.

According to the report, Israeli intelligence intercepted the phone calls. Messages, emails and documents of ICC officials including Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan and his predecessor Fatou Bensouda. This intelligence allegedly provided Benjamin Netanyahu with advanced knowledge of the ICC’s plans.

In 2022, Johnson was reportedly informed that his office in No.10 Downing Street had targeted with “multiple” suspected infections using Pegasus, an Israeli spyware software which turns a phone into a remote listening device, according to the Guardian.

While Pegasus is Israeli software, the Guardian cited a report claiming that the United Arab Emirates had been behind the incidents.

In a statement, Citizen Lab, the authors of the report said, “We confirm that in 2020 and 2021 we observed and notified the government of the United Kingdom of multiple suspected instances of Pegasus spyware infections within official UK networks. These included: the prime minister’s office (10 Downing Street) [and] the Foreign and Commonwealth Office …

“The suspected infections relating to the FCO were associated with Pegasus operators that we link to the UAE, India, Cyprus and Jordan. The suspected infection at the UK prime minister’s office was associated with a Pegasus operator we link to the UAE.”

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.