Former President Jimmy Carter is warning the U.S. and Israel not to punish the Palestinian people for electing a Hamas-led government. Carter writes in today’s Washington Post, “Any tacit or formal collusion between the two powers to disrupt the process by punishing the Palestinian people could be counterproductive and have devastating consequences.” On Sunday, Israel moved to withhold $50 million owed to the Palestinian Authority from customs and tax revenue. The Israeli sanctions immediately put the Palestinian Authority into a financial crisis. Israel’s move came one day after Hamas assumed control of the Palestinian Authority. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is heading to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where she is expected to persuade the countries not to financially assist Hamas.