The Deputy Chief of the Israel Defence Force (IDF) has compared current trends in Israeli society to those in pre-Holocaust Europe, the Times of Israel reports.

Speaking at an event to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day on Wednesday, IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Maj Gen Yair Golan warned against what he saw as "growing callousness and indifference towards those outside of mainstream Israeli society".

He also called for a "thorough consideration" of how society treats the disadvantaged and "the other" in its midst.

The Times of Israel described the speech as "strongly worded" and "uncommon for a military commander".

In the speech Golan said the Holocaust should bring Israelis to "a deep reflection" of the character of man but of their character as well.

He said: "It should bring us to deeply consider the responsibility of leadership, and the quality of a society."

But he added: "If there is something that frightens me in the memory of the Holocaust, it is identifying horrifying processes that occurred in Europe...70, 80 and 90 years ago and finding evidence of their existence here in our midst, today, in 2016.

"There is nothing easier than hating the other. There is nothing easier than raising fears and sowing terror. There is nothing easier than becoming callous, morally corrupt and hypocritical."

The Times reported that Golan specifically touched upon the issue of moral flaws within the army, saying the strength of the IDF was its ability to thoroughly investigate and punish wrongdoers "and take responsibility for the good and the bad," without justifying their actions or attempting to cover them up.

"We believe truly in the justness of our path, but not everything we do is just," he said.

Education Minister and Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett called for Golan to withdraw his words.

"A moment before our soldiers are compared to Nazis, with 'endorsement' from up high — the deputy chief of staff has erred and must rectify it immediately," he said.

Jewish Home MK Bezalel Smotrich also criticised the speech: "What frightens me is absurd and twisted comparisons that taint the memory of the Holocaust, particularly when they come from important figures such as the deputy chief of staff."

But opposition leader Isaac Herzog supported Golan and tweeted: "The malcontents who will now begin railing at him should know: This is what morality and responsibility sound like."