A Deal in Gaza

Talk about a reversal - a peace deal is plausible in war-ravaged Gaza, while a compromise on a U.S. federal budget now looks distant. Washington works in mysterious ways.

We highly recommend a brilliant column in today's Washington Post by David Ignatius, who thinks a Mideast peace deal may prevail - as key countries like Qatar and players like Tony Blair in the U.K. may be on the cusp of a deal.

And what option does Hamas have, after years of carnage - and in particular two years of death and destruction in Gaza? Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear yesterday that the options are more death or a tentative move toward peace. The latter suddenly looks possible - and Donald Trump seems closer to his greatest victory.

The stakes for a budget deal aren't as great, and the buzz in Washington late yesterday was hardly upbeat. The main issue is ominous - could a shutdown last a few days or until the holidays? Could the duration stretch close to the record of 35 days?

That shutdown didn't end until air traffic controllers in the New York City region walked out, threatening a major transportation crisis. That probably won't happen now, but there's no sign of a breakthrough on a budget, just on the Mideast.

Congress is out this week, barring something dramatic, so a shutdown of at least a few days seems likely - as economists look at the impact of consumers pulling back and negotiations stalling.