Maj. Gen. Yair Golan

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was outraged after Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Yair Golan compared Israel to Nazi Germany on Wednesday night, in a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day, resulting in a rare clarification by the Israel Defense Force's Spokesperson's Unit. The Prime Minister's Office said Thursday that "with all due respect to the deputy chief of staff, Netanyahu believes that he misspoke and is glad they were corrected."

Golan's controversial comments included a claim that Israel had "revolting processes that occurred in Europe in general, and particularly in Germany, back then -- 70, 80 and 90 years ago.

The PMO insisted that Netanyahu had spoken with Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon on the matter and demanded a clarification, but military officials said that the clarification was made without any pressure from the political echelon.

"I had no intention of making that comparison," Golan's clarification read. "The comparison is absurd and unfounded. There was no intention of creating that impression or to criticize [Israel's] political echelon. The IDF is a ethical army that honors the tenets of purity of arms and dignity."

Ya'alon took to Twitter on Thursday to defend Golan after right-wing lawmakers attacked him.

"I have full faith in the deputy chief of staff, a combat fighter and a well-respected commander, who has moral convictions and a distinguished record," Ya'alon tweeted. "The all-out assault he faces is a product of the deliberate misinterpretation of his comments, in what is just part of the worrying crusade to politically tarnish the IDF and its officers. Woe to us if we sanction such behavior. The role of every IDF officer, let alone a member of the top brass, extends beyond just leading men and women in battle; an officer must instill values by being a moral compass and by serving as [soldiers'] conscience."

The first to criticize Golan's remarks was Education Minister and Habayit Hayehudi head Naftali Bennett, who tweeted that the deputy chief of staff had "made a mistake," adding that the "Holocaust was not some allegory you can use; it is an atrocity that has no parallels in human history."

Bennett continued, "The number of Holocaust deniers is growing steadily," Bennett warned. He lamented that Holocaust deniers could ultimately "take these misguided words and put them on their flag, and therefore we must act responsibly before our soldiers are compared to Nazis with the approval of high-ranking officers."

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Habayit Hayehudi) warned that Golan's comments could "wreak havoc on Israel's image on the world stage." She also told Channel 10 News that "the deputy chief of staff is confused. His words indicate a lack of understanding, ignorance and disrespect for the memory of the Holocaust. On a day like this, one should speak about the machinery of evil, the systematic nature of it, and listen to the testimonies of survivors."

Likud MK Anat Berko said that Golan's comments were an "affront to Holocaust survivors and the State of Israel."

Likud MK Yoav Kisch lambasted Golan, saying, "Above all, I feel sorry about what he said and the fact that many jumped on those comments to exacerbate the delegitimization of Israeli society; I will not issue recommendations to the prime minister, the defense minister or the chief of staff, not even to Golan himself. I believe he must draw his own conclusions. As for the content of what he said, I will just say that this amounts to blatant disregard to the Holocaust and a unimaginable distortion of reality."

Meanwhile, Golan's comments made headlines around the world.

The Guardian ran a story that read "Israeli military chief backtracks from 1930s Germany comparison," possibly implying that Golan was the commander of the Israel Defense Forces. A Reuters story focused on his comments and how he delivered them: "Wearing his red paratroop beret, Golan said at the gathering to honour the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany that the annual remembrance day should also lead Israelis to deep soul-searching about 'how we, here and now, treat the stranger.'" The New York Times' website ran a story with the headline: "Israeli Army Deputy Chief Draws Rebuke for Holocaust Comment." Inside, the article began with the criticism leveled by "hawkish Israeli ministers" for "comparing pre-Holocaust Germany to trends in Israel today." The Independent ran a piece focusing on his clarification, with the headline, "IDF military chief backtracks after appearing to compare Israel to Nazi Germany."

Meanwhile, Zionist Union MK Tzipi Livni, said that "rather than persecuting Golan, who has a moral compass that represents the IDF as a moral army with self-scrutiny, it is more important to listen to his authentic, sincere lamentations from the bottom of his heart."