Cairo, Egypt ? Several thousand protesters at one of Cairo’s main mosques called Friday for holy war against Israel to help the Palestinians in their conflict with the Jewish state.

The Middle East on the Muslim day of prayer saw other few protests against Israel’s offensive in Gaza, except for small rallies by hundreds in Palestinian refugee camps.

More than 3,000 people packed Al-Azhar Mosque, the most prominent institution in the Sunni Arab world, for prayers and a demonstration organized by the Egyptian government’s top rival, the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Rulers of Arab countries, start holy war! God is great!” men shouted, their voices ringing through the rafters of the 1,000-year-old building.