Does this give you hope?

It's unlikely that the direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians will achieve much as each side is clinging to positions that they consider as fundamental which the other side isn't ready to give up. The Palestinian authority and Israel can sign contracts which are likely to be frozen should any event happen. Hamas is on the other side ready to sabotage any agreement by at least firing rockets in Israel. The negotiations will be just a sham for many as Gaza is still under Israeli blockade which they see it as a blackmail by Israel to "force" the Palestinians to agree to Israeli conditions.

Historically, there were deadlines for the establishment of a Palestinian state since the Oslo agreement in 1993. So far there are just mutual accusations between the Palestinians and the Israelis that neither are serious about peace. One-year time limit on the talks will end without tangible results but with renewed efforts to have fresh talks.

US statements don't give me much hope. I don't see that anything has changed. Isreal continues to occupy Palestine, continues to depopulate Arabs from their land, continues to build and expand illegal settlements, continues to deny refugees their rights, continues to occupy Gazan airspace and waters and blockade Gaza. Abbas has done everything Israel and the US asked of him and has reigned in and forbidden the palestinian right of resistance in the West Bank to the Israeli occupation. He has nothing else to offer. The only ones who do have something to bring to the table are Hamas and their dedication to destroying Israel and rockets. However, they are not invited to the talks. Neither are the "real" security concerns for Israel, namely Iran. I expect the status quo of occupation to continue and Clinton's statement giving the occupation full support of the US while condemning Hamas and Iran, and praising Abbas as a moderate Arab.
I would love to be proven wrong, and have the statement say the US is deciding to recognise the rights of all in the region and declare that they will no longer be an obstacle for peace and justice, and no longer elevate the rights and wishes of one country over and above the rights of others.

The Israelis and Palestinians have been dancing a complicated tango for decades. Tentative approaches by one are matched by the backwards shuffle of the other. And both sides are equally guilty of this.

As long as both sides can benefit from NOT achieving a peaceful resolution to this impasse, I expect the dance to continue.

If Secretary of State Clinton can find a way to impress upon both sides that peaceful resolution will benefit both sides, then perhaps progress will be made.

I'm afraid I don't have much hope for any good outcome. I think both sides will once again dredge up ancient history to justify their actions now. Neither side really wants peace as much as they want to win.

Experience teaches us to expect the worst: there are just too many parties involved that do not really want peace or refuse to compromise on anything, some in the shadows, some very openly.

I do not think very much will be achieved. With luck, they might achieve a temporary and fragile peace agreement. So many people on both sides are polarized, uncompromising, and incapable of empathy with the other side. Until both sides see that they will never get peace AND everything they want, they won't make much progress.

For what its worth, prior to Israel agreeing on a moritorium not to allow new buildings, I wrote to the Prime minister of Israel to offer a 6 month moritorium not to build, after which Israel agreed on a 10 month moritorium to a date in September, 2010. Most of the ten months have nearly expired, makes one wonder as to why a decission to engage in talks so late in time, pressurising for an extension. On the other hand, depending on the progress of a few days of peace talks, building may well restart. In my opinion, the peace talks would be better served if only Abbas and Natanyanu met for the first few days, depending on what progress transpired, others good join in later. Gaza will no doubt be the main problem, because its leaders are determined to extact conditions not acceptable to Israel. Theres a slim chance Israel and the West bank may find some grounds to comprimise, whereas theres little or no chance of Gaza going along with it. The time has come to agree on some common ground for the estblishment of a Palestinian State, with or without Gaza. Failure will mean more of the same as has been in the past.For all parties. "Half a loaf is better than none at all".

What a pity that the answer must be no! The borders of Israel were clearly laid out in the agreements leading to the founding of that country in 1948.
Neither side has ever shown any respect for those papers. It cannot therefore be expected that new borders will be respected either. One side will always feel it has been treated badly and in the meantime hate continues to grow. Conflict rather than co-operation seems to be the curse on mankind.