(JPost) The short term of the 23rd Knesset came one key step closer to completion this week, when MKs from the opposition and Blue and White passed Knesset dispersal bills.

The bills were only passed in their preliminary readings, so they must pass three more times in the plenum and three times in the Knesset House Committee to become law and enable the parliament to be dispersed.

The Joint List’s four-member Ra’am (United Arab List) party, led by MK Mansour Abbas, decided to not attend the vote, despite pressure from their Joint List colleagues to support the bill.

“I call upon the Knesset to vote in favor of this bill, to disperse and let the people of Israel choose a government that genuinely cares about them,” said opposition leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid-Telem), who initiated the process of dispersing the Knesset.

Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz told the Knesset plenum that Netanyahu needed to leave office due to his criminal cases, and he would have already left had Blue and White listened to his office and not joined the government.

Joint List head Ayman Odeh said his voters would ensure that Netanyahu would leave office and end up in jail. Yamina faction head Ayelet Shaked said she hoped the Knesset is dispersed and replaced with a better government as soon as possible.

Immediately after the bills are advanced, negotiations are expected between Blue and White and Likud on passing the 2020 and 2021 state budgets and avoiding early elections.