1) We need to inform ourselves more accurately of the historical forces that shaped the Middle East crisis. It's alarming how frequently we adopt an analytical framework that treats the Middle East crisis as a one-dimensional confrontation: a great power struggle with Israel and Arab states as pawns of larger forces; an ideological struggle between modern and traditional values; a religious war. These are only subsets of a much larger historical process, a process Americans are poorly equipped to understand.

     2) We need to find parallels between the Israeli-Arab conflict and other long-term international crises. By making careful comparison we will deepen our understanding of the complex Middle East Crisis and find some inspiration in our search for a solution.

     4) We need to reduce the tendency to assign blame, pass judgment, and attach good and evil labels. There is a strong moralistic element in the way the United States manages its inter national relations. When we were a minor player on the international scene — up to World War I — we could get away with this. Now we must define our interests in a more hardheaded way.

     5) And finally, we need to diminish our emphasis on the role of personality as a solution of problems. Long-term solutions in the world of  rarely turn on a special personal relationship.

     Conclusion:

2001

     David was born in Richmond, Virginia, on May 20, 1955 to Jean and John Lewis. By 1958, the Lewis family found itself in Raleigh, North Carolina, where David's father was on the faculty of Meredith College. In 1960, Dr. Lewis accepted the role as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Raleigh, a role from which he retired 27 years later.

     David went through the public schools in Raleigh, graduating from N.B. Broughton High School in 1973. He then went to Winston-Salem to Wake Forest University, finishing his undergraduate degree there in 1977. After working one year for the North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, he went back to business school at Wake Forest, finishing with the MBA degree in 1980.

     David is currently serving as the Charlotte city executive and commercial banking market executive for Bank of America. In these dual roles, he helps to coordinate sales and customer service efforts across multiple lines of business, while also focusing on leading the sales team serving middle market commercial clients in the Charlotte region. He has been with Bank of America since 1980 and has served both individual and commercial clients in the cities of Raleigh, St. Louis, and Charlotte.

     David serves on the boards of Discovery Place and Central Piedmont Community College and is active in the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and other civic endeavors.