Payoneer's CEO Worried About Retribution From Hamas

This makes sense: Payoneer CEO Yuval Tal is worried about his well-being after it was publicized that his company's prepaid credit cards were used by the costume-happy hit squad that killed a Hamas leader in Dubai. A Payoneer spokeswoman told the Post, "He has legitimate personal safety concerns for himself and his family."

The Dubai police revealed that Payoneer's cards were used and that Tal is a self-described former member of the Israeli special forces—plus, funding for Payoneer has come from other firms with ties to Israreli military. An associate of Tal's also expressed concern, "Retaliation by Hamas for any perceived connection to the Dubai killing is a real concern. By publicly pointing a finger, they've potentially put people in harm's way."

Earlier, the Post wondered if Tal disappeared after the news broke, since he hadn't been seen at his Manhattan office or Brooklyn home. But last Thursday, the Observer's Max Abelson, who wrote a profile about Payoneer, got an email from Payoneer's spokeswoman explaining that Tal was in Israel on a business trip, "Payoneer has an office in Tel Aviv and Yuval frequently travels between New York and Israel as a normal part of managing the company." And Tal himself sent an email, "As soon as it will be appropriate to chat, I'll be happy to meet."

And for those of you following the whole story, the LA Times' Babylon & Beyond blog writes, "But gaping questions continue to cloud the investigation into [Mahmoud] Mabhouh’s murder. Perhaps the biggest puzzle: What was Mabhouh, a native of the Gaza Strip now living in Damascus, doing in Dubai with no security detail in the first place? To buy weapons? Transit to another country? Meet a girlfriend? Conduct family business?" Apparently Mabhouh entered the country with a fake passport.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on March 15, 2010 4:15 PM

Comments [rss]

longacre

It is media debacles like this that ensure the prosperity of outlets like Fox News. Keep up the great work.

Helen Thomas knows the score

what is your source for

'Apparently Mabhouh entered the country with a fake passport'

the dubai police said he entered with his own passport.

i have to laugh at what you consider the pressing questions....

you have a us company run by a former idf man supplying credit cards to a ring of assassins from a base in NYC ... and instead of wondering whether the us government is treating this as a case of espionage, you wondering, was the victim he in Dubai to

'Meet a girlfriend?, Conduct family business?, ...

yeah, for sure thats the story here. Keep it up, maybe you can tie the hipster drifter into this and you pulizter.

ha.

Jen Chung

The bit about Mabhoub's phony passport is from the LA Times' blog:

Dubai Police Chief. Lt. Gen. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim told Dubai’s Al Arabiya television station last weekend that Mabhouh entered the country on a passport bearing a phony four-part name that did not include any of his own. And for good reason.

“Had we known who he was, we would not have allowed him in to Dubai,” he told Al Arabiya. “We do allow officials from Hamas’ political office, but not members involved in secretive work.”

Helen Thomas knows the score

well i've been served. thanks for responding

I thought I had seen reports saying he came in under his own name and could have been arrested via interpol if they had been notified but I must have been wrong.

I read this good summary from the la times yesterday

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/14/world/la-fg-dubai-investigation14-2010mar14

The real story is that its a case of state sponsored extrajudicial killing, with some connections to the NY. I'm not sure what he was doing in Dubai matters, but who knows.

here's an alternate Said inspired reading I just found,

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LC10Ak03.html

hotstepper

and with your handle "zion4ever" you are notably impartial on this matter.

JenChungsBaby

You got something against the Matrix trilogy?

martis

simple. boycott this a-hole's company.

CR

Here's a short list of everyone that Hamas wants to kill:

1. Everyone

Helen Thomas knows the score

has hamas ever attacked anyone outside of israel/palestine?

no.

your logic=fail

CR

Does Hamas attack and kill Palestinians? Yes.

Did it completely disarm and kill numerous members of any opposition groups when it took over Gaza? Yes. Does Hamas fix elections by killing or threatening opposition candidates' followers (or the candidates themselves)? Yes. Would anyone who stood up and spoke about any sort of opposition to Hamas be killed? Yes (and it's already happened plenty of times.) Would the editor of a newspaper who printed an editorial along the lines of, let's say, "Hamas sucks at providing health care" find himself: at best a) thrown out of a job and at worst b) thrown out of a building? Yes.

Will there ever be a Palestinian state? Not while Hamas is in power.