(Adds Palestinian comment, paragraphs 4-5)

By Patrick Worsnip

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Israel, often pilloried in the United Nations, claimed an unprecedented diplomatic triumph on Tuesday when a resolution it had drafted, on farm technology rather than Arab-Israeli issues, was approved by a U.N. committee.

"It is the very first time that Israel initiates and authors and submits a resolution which has nothing to do with the (Arab-Israeli) conflict," Ambassador Dan Gillerman told reporters, calling it "a historic occasion."

The resolution passed the General Assembly's Second Committee, dealing with development issues, with 118 votes in favor, none against and 29 abstentions, according to U.N. figures. It will go before the full assembly next week.

Palestinian representative to the United Nations Riyad Mansour said Israel was "trying to score political points" and had rejected a move by others in the committee to have the motion presented by the chair as a consensus resolution.

He said the Israeli action only emphasized "the divisions between Israel and the Arab countries," in contrast to the spirit of the recent peace conference at Annapolis.

The resolution calls on developed countries to make their agricultural technology know-how -- an area where Israel has expertise -- more available to the developing world.

Israel is more used to resolutions criticizing its actions in the Middle East being passed by various U.N. bodies, especially the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.

As a result, suspicion of the United Nations runs deep in Israel. Late last month the Jewish state persuaded the United States to withdraw a Security Council resolution hailing the results of the Annapolis Middle East summit because it did not want U.N. involvement.

"It is not easy for Israel to have its resolutions and its points of view adopted," Gillerman said.

Countries that abstained on Tuesday included all 19 Arab states present, although Muslim Afghanistan and Pakistan voted in favor. Iran, Israel's fiercest critic at the world body, did not take part.

Gillerman criticized South Africa, one of several African countries to abstain. The abstention was "a shameful mistake for a country that considers itself to be the leader of Africa," he said.

(Reporting by Patrick Worsnip, Editing by Frances Kerry and Cynthia Osterman)

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