Pope Francis, allegedly addressing the "Israeli Palestinian conflict:"
"Please stop!, I ask you with all my heart, it's time to stop. Stop, please!"
There were once a couple of grifters, one was named Benjamin, the other Francis.
One early evening these grifters happened upon some townsfolk leaving the town's market. The pair agreed that this was a fit opportunity to ply their trade.
Sighting a seemingly gullible mark, they went to work. Benjamin, deftly, began stabbing the mark with a well concealed knife, crying out in pain as he did so and stealing the man's wallet in the midst of the commotion. A few other townspeople noticed Benjamin's violence and attempted to subdue him.
At this moment, Francis, who was standing nearby, began wailing emotionally, "Stop fighting! I implore you with all my heart, please stop!" This distraction gave Benjamin the opportunity to smear some of the stabbed mark's blood on his own clothes. Benjamin then shrieked, "Did you see that? That wicked townsperson stabbed me because he hates Jews! I had to defend myself!"
Dissension arose among the onlookers; a few were certain that Benjamin stabbed the poor mark with no provocation whatever. Most others, more susceptible to the power of suggestion, were sure that Benjamin was the victim and had only acted in self defense. Yet others, arriving at the scene late, saw blood on the clothing of both men and figured that a proportional fight had occurred.
Francis, well rehearsed in the outward presentation of sincerity and humility, positioned himself as an arbiter of the 'conflict' and appealed strongly to the townspeople to accept a 'balanced' resolution to the 'fight.'
Most of the townsfolk were gulled by Francis' moral posturing and let Benjamin go on his way, apologizing to him for the town's 'anti-semitism.' The few who were not bamboozled by the performance took the poor, bleeding mark to receive medical care.
At the edge of town, Francis met up with Benjamin and they split the money from the mark's wallet. They journeyed on together visiting the same spiel upon many other villages.