Israeli government dissolves parliament, calls new elections

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s weakened coalition government has decided to dissolve parliament and call a new election. The vote, expected later this year, could bring about the return of a nationalist religious government led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or another prolonged period of political gridlock. In a nationally televised news conference, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Monday that disbanding the government wasn’t easy, but he called it “the right decision for Israel.”