Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday denounced the 1956 massacre that claimed the lives of 47 Arabs, calling the tragedy a "terrible crime" and apologizing for what happened.

Rivlin's remarks at the 1956 massacre's annual memorial came amid calls from rightwing supporters not to speak out. It is also the first time an Israeli head of state attended such an event.

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The gunning of 47 innocents marks a "sorrowful" and "anomalous" chapter in history among the Jews and Arabs living side by side in this region, Rivlin said.

The new president - who only days ago said Israel's society was sick and needed treatment - called on both sides to work together and warned against those who desired to bring pain and destruction to the region.

Rivlin declared Israel the home of Jews but made it known that the state was also home to the more than 1.5 million Arabs living in the area.

Since he took office in July, Rivlin has voiced concern over the increasing violence and racism of society towards the Arab population.

The Arabs are part of Israeli society yet many of them are subjected to arrogance and racism from Jews, he said.

He called on both sides to take tangible action to stop the bloodshed, referring to Wednesday's incident when a man had rammed his car into a crowd of Israelis, killing a newborn baby in the process.

Rivlin critiqued the ability of both sides to engage in meaningful dialogue, echoing earlier sentiments.

Have the Jews forgotten how it is to be human and converse? Rivlin posed the question at an academic conference last week.

Since he succeeded Shimon Peres in July, Rivlin - a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conservative Likud party - has been increasingly vocal against the racism of Arabs.

The Israeli president has maintained that relations between Jews and Arabs have worsened and sunk to a new low.

The 1956 massacre triggered the Israel-Egypt war. On Oct. 29, Israeli border officials opened fire at residents of an Israeli Arab village for breaking a military curfew. The residents, some of whom were men coming home from working in the fields, had been unaware a curfew had been enforced.

TagsIsrael, arabs, 1956 massacre, Israel-Egypt war, Reuven Rivlin