Members of the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO voted overwhelmingly Monday to accept the Palestinian Authority as a member — in defiance of the United States and Israel. In the vote, 107 nations backed the Palestinian bid, 14 nations voted against it, and 52 nations abstained. Following the vote, the United States announced it is withdrawing its financial support for UNESCO. The United States provides about 20 percent of UNESCO’s $70 million budget. Nimrod Barkan, Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO, criticized the vote.

Nimrod Barkan, Israeli ambassador to UNESCO: “We regret that the organization of science has opted to adopt a resolution which is a resolution of science fiction. Unfortunately, there is no Palestinian state, and therefore one should not have been admitted today. We would like to thank the many countries that voted against it or abstained, realizing that this is the wrong thing for UNESCO to do at this stage, because it may hurt the peace process in the future.”

The Palestinian Authority has expressed hope that their success in achieving membership in UNESCO will help it be recognized by other international bodies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization.

Kholod Duiabes, Palestinian Minister of Tourism and Antiques: “The full membership will open doors for us, especially to face the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage by the occupation, and start to preserve the Palestinian sites which are eligible to be on the [UNESCO] World Heritage List.”