Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has alleged the discovery of a “listening device” in his personal bathroom, subsequent to a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2017.
What Happened: Johnson, who was serving as a foreign secretary at the time, disclosed in an interview with The Telegraph that the device was unearthed during a routine security sweep. “Later, when they (security) were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox,” he revealed.
Further details were withheld by Johnson, who directed readers to his forthcoming book “Unleashed” for more information. “Everything you need to know about that episode is in the book,” he commented.
As reported by The Telegraph, it is still uncertain whether Israel was confronted or reprimanded about the incident. Around the same time, Israel was suspected of planting surveillance devices near the White House and other sensitive locations in the US capital. “Washington concluded that Israel was likely behind the placement of cellphone surveillance devices,” The Telegraph reported.
The Hill has reached out to the Israeli Embassy in London for a comment on the allegations.
Why It Matters: This allegation comes amidst a backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East. In September, the Israeli military initiated a localized operation against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
This was followed by Iran launching a missile attack against Israel in early October, in response to the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised retaliation against Iran for the missile attack, leading to heightened fears of a broader conflict.
Amidst these tensions, discussions between the U.S. and Israel about a potential attack on Iran’s oil facilities were confirmed by President Joe Biden.
Photo by Ververidis Vasilis on Shutterstock
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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal
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