The United Nations has sided with the Palestinians in a dispute over the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

The U.N. world heritage committee UNESCO voted to place the church on its list of endangered historic sites.

The United States and Israel both opposed the move.

Some nations and observers say it's part of a Palestinian effort to eliminate Jewish historic ties to the land because they're claiming biblical sites as Palestinian property.

"It has been proven that UNESCO is motivated by political, not cultural considerations," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"Instead of the Palestinians carrying out steps that will advance peace, they take unilateral steps that only push peace further away," he said.

 "The world needs to remember that the Church of the Nativity, which is sacred to Christianity, has been desecrated in the past by Palestinian terrorists," Netanyahu said.