Israel edges towards new national election in festering coalition crisis

Israel edged towards an early election, its fourth in two years, after parliament on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a bill to dissolve itself amid a crisis in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fractious coalition. The bill, brought by the opposition but supported by Defence Minister Benny Gantz, Netanyahu's main coalition partner, still needs to pass through three future parliamentary votes to become law, giving both men more time to try to resolve their differences.