Story highlights Bernie Sanders prodded Israeli leaders over their treatment of Palestinians in a speech Monday

Sanders skipped the AIPAC conference in Washington, instead delivering his speech in Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah (CNN) Bernie Sanders criticized Israel's treatment of Palestinians, condemning the expansion of West Bank settlements and blasting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's withholding of tax dollars from Palestinian authorities, in a speech Monday in Utah.

The Vermont senator was the only 2016 presidential candidate to skip an 18,000-attendee pro-Israel conference in Washington. Instead, he delivered his foreign policy speech in Salt Lake City, capital of a state which, along with Arizona and Idaho, will vote in Democratic nominating contests on Tuesday.

Sanders is the only Jewish candidate in the race -- though he didn't mention that in his speech and rarely does on the campaign trail. He did, however, discuss living in a kibbutz as a young man.

Still, much of what Sanders had to say wouldn't have gone over well at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's gathering.

Sanders promised to be a friend to both Israel and the Palestinians -- but didn't shy away from criticizing the U.S. ally.

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