Israel lawmakers take 1st step toward dissolving parliament

By ILAN BEN ZION
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli lawmakers have voted in favor of dissolving parliament in a preliminary vote, setting the wheels in motion to send the country to its fifth national election in 3 1/2 years. The development on Wednesday was the first step in a series of votes before the formal dissolution of the Knesset. It came two days after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced he was disbanding his unraveling governing coalition of eight ideologically diverse parties just over a year after he took office. A series of proposals for dissolving parliament were passed by a vast majority of the 120-member Knesset. The required final vote to dissolve parliament is expected next week.