ALI MOORE, PRESENTER: Well the United Nations scientific and cultural organisation, UNESCO, has voted overwhelmingly to accept Palestine as a full member.
The decision has boosted Palestinian hopes that it will soon be granted full statehood.
Australia voted with Israel and the United States against membership, believing the vote was premature.
The ABC's Michael Vincent reports from Gaza.
MICHAEL VINCENT, REPORTER: A tally of votes and history was made.
KATALIN BOGYAY, UNESCO ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT: The general conference has thus voted to adopt the draft resolution, and decided to admit Palestine as member of UNESCO.
MICHAEL VINCENT: It's international recognition for the Palestinian people, who want an independent state.
RIAYD AL-MALAKI, PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (translated): Israel is trying to prevent us from having a place on the map, and we are trying our best, really, to have a place on the map.
MICHAEL VINCENT: It's not what Israel wanted and it's reacted angrily.
NIMROD BARKAN, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO UNESCO: We regret that the organisation of science has opted to adopt a resolution which is a resolution of science fiction.
MICHAEL VINCENT: More than 100 countries voted yes, but Australia and Israel sided with the US, who tried to stop the vote.
VICTORIA NULAND, US STATE DEPARTMENT: Today's vote by the member states of UNESCO to admit Palestine as a member is regrettable, premature and undermines our shared goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
BOB BROWN, GREENS LEADER: Surely we could have matched at least the UK and New Zealand in abstaining, if not joining France and China and India in supporting the Palestinians' right to equality - their day in the sun, their ability to be recognised.
MICHAEL VINCENT: A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the Australian Government supported the aspirations of the Palestinian people, but this was not the way to achieve them.
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE PRIME MINISTER (voiceover): We voted against the resolution because it is premature for a subsidiary body of the United Nations (such as UNESCO) to consider this matter while it is still being considered by the United Nations Security Council.
MICHAEL VINCENT: The passing of the vote will have serious financial consequences for UNESCO. A US law prevents money being paid to organisations which recognise Palestine as a state, and Washington will withdraw $60 million worth of funding.
But the decision will allow World Heritage recognition for a number of historical and religious sites across the Palestinian territories.
KHOLOD DUIABES, PALESTINIAN TOURISM MINISTER (translated): The full membership will open doors for us, especially to face the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage by the occupation.
MICHAEL VINCENT: It's this 1,500 year old Byzantine Church, as well as the Church of the Nativity, which the Palestinian authority can now register as World Heritage Sites.
The decision has boosted Palestinian hopes that it will soon be granted full statehood.
Australia voted with Israel and the United States against membership, believing the vote was premature.
The ABC's Michael Vincent reports from Gaza.
MICHAEL VINCENT, REPORTER: A tally of votes and history was made.
KATALIN BOGYAY, UNESCO ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT: The general conference has thus voted to adopt the draft resolution, and decided to admit Palestine as member of UNESCO.
MICHAEL VINCENT: It's international recognition for the Palestinian people, who want an independent state.
RIAYD AL-MALAKI, PALESTINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (translated): Israel is trying to prevent us from having a place on the map, and we are trying our best, really, to have a place on the map.
MICHAEL VINCENT: It's not what Israel wanted and it's reacted angrily.
NIMROD BARKAN, ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO UNESCO: We regret that the organisation of science has opted to adopt a resolution which is a resolution of science fiction.
MICHAEL VINCENT: More than 100 countries voted yes, but Australia and Israel sided with the US, who tried to stop the vote.
VICTORIA NULAND, US STATE DEPARTMENT: Today's vote by the member states of UNESCO to admit Palestine as a member is regrettable, premature and undermines our shared goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
BOB BROWN, GREENS LEADER: Surely we could have matched at least the UK and New Zealand in abstaining, if not joining France and China and India in supporting the Palestinians' right to equality - their day in the sun, their ability to be recognised.
MICHAEL VINCENT: A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the Australian Government supported the aspirations of the Palestinian people, but this was not the way to achieve them.
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE PRIME MINISTER (voiceover): We voted against the resolution because it is premature for a subsidiary body of the United Nations (such as UNESCO) to consider this matter while it is still being considered by the United Nations Security Council.
MICHAEL VINCENT: The passing of the vote will have serious financial consequences for UNESCO. A US law prevents money being paid to organisations which recognise Palestine as a state, and Washington will withdraw $60 million worth of funding.
But the decision will allow World Heritage recognition for a number of historical and religious sites across the Palestinian territories.
KHOLOD DUIABES, PALESTINIAN TOURISM MINISTER (translated): The full membership will open doors for us, especially to face the deliberate destruction of the cultural heritage by the occupation.
MICHAEL VINCENT: It's this 1,500 year old Byzantine Church, as well as the Church of the Nativity, which the Palestinian authority can now register as World Heritage Sites.
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