One Heck of a Mickey Mouse Excuse

Disney CEO Robert Iger said he and other executives considered ways to react to the recent Hamas show for children that featured someone dressed in what appeared to be a Mickey Mouse costume, railing against Israel and the United States in a high-pitched cartoonish voice.

"We didn't mobilize our forces and seek to either have the clip taken down or to make any broad public statement about it," Iger told a gathering of the Society of Business Editors and Writers at the Disneyland Hotel.

"We were appalled by the use of our character to disseminate that kind of message," he said "I think anytime any group seeks to exploit children in that manner, it's despicable."

Still, Iger said it didn't seem to make any sense for Disney to make any loud public statement at the time.

"I just didn't think it would have any effect," he said. 'I think it should have been obvious how the company felt about the subject."

Their silence over this heinous use of a beloved cartoon character only emboldens and sanctions Hamas' ongoing use of this character to promote hatred and violence against Israel.

Disney had a right and obligation to stand up against Hamas and their use of a cartoon character that bears a striking resemblance to the character that launched the company and is the mascot for the company around the world. Indeed, one could argue that the company is doing its shareholders a grave disservice by not protecting its intellectual property rights by going after the Hamas publication of characters that resemble Mickey Mouse. The company has done more over far less serious infringements.