Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in central Tel Aviv Saturday night calling for mandatory conscription in the army or national service.

According to Israeli media, the protest began with a march from the Arlozorov train station to the Tel Aviv Museum Plaza, where a small crowd of around 2,000 made their way to the protest, chanting "One people, one draft" and "Bibi, you promised, now do it!"

"Something is rotten in Israeli politics," former Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin was quoted as telling the crowd from the stage on Saturday evening, adding that the day is coming when the majority of Israelis will not serve their country.

Diskin, who has been a strong critic of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, added that he doesn't feel like a sucker for having service, calling it a privilege. He also said that he and others are tired of their money going to support people who don't serve, a statement that was greeted by uproarious applause.

The protest came less than a week after Netanyahu decided on Monday to dissolve the Keshev Committee, which was tasked with finding ways to draft the ultra-Orthodox and Israeli Arabs into the army or national service.