"The decision taken now was totally political and does great damage in our opinion to the (UN) convention and its image," said Israel's representative.
Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, accused Unesco of being "another hackneyed, politicised body".
He said: "We do not dispute that the Church of the Nativity is a treasured and sacred site that could qualify for special status.
"We dispute the process, which supported the Palestinian’s cynical strategy to circumvent World Heritage procedures and facetiously claim the site to be endangered. In bowing to this perverted Palestinian bid, the committee ignored the recommendations of their own advisory council’s investigation and the entreaties of the church’s own religious leadership who must live with the practical implications of this decision."