Israel moves towards fourth election with dissolution vote

Parliament passes preliminary bill to dissolve itself in move seen as gambit by Benny Gantz to pass budget

Israel's parliament has passed a preliminary bill to dissolve itself, a move that threatens to break apart an already fractured coalition government and trigger a fourth election in less than two years.

Wednesday's vote, which is not final and requires several more readings, was largely seen as a gambit by Benny Gantz, the former head of the opposition who reluctantly joined Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition this year, to assert his authority.