Israel and the U.S. are edging toward a showdown. It’s all over Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory and whether they’ll continue to grow.

Hello I’m Charlotte Bellis and you’re watching Newsy.com.

“The President was very clear when Prime Minister Netanyahu was here, he wants to see a stop to settlements, not some settlements, not outposts, not natural growth exceptions…” (BBC)

We begin with Israel’s Haaretz who reports Israel will tell Washington next week it is prepared to make concessions.

“…Israel owes the evacuation to itself, because it is a country where law and order mean something, and removing them is not only the result of U.S. pressure.”

The Palestinian Information Center, which describes itself as ‘the voice of the Palestinian people and their long struggle for justice,’ disagrees with Haaretz about why Israel is making concessions. It brings this from a Palestinian lawmaker, who says Netanyahu…

“…would vacate only 26 of [232 Israeli settlements and colonies] in clear bid to give the existing settlement[s] international legitimacy…He wants to beautify the ugly face of his extremist and racist government.”

Al Jazeera English adds to this perspective with inside information on the future of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

“It’s being described as a secret deal but when you come to the E-1 area you see there is nothing secret about what Israel is doing here. In fact it has already confiscated the land, has built the roads and extended electricity and if the plan goes unabated then in a few years time the thousands of homes you see there on that hilltop will extend to hilltops like this one as well.”

Next we put a perspective from Arab TV network Al Arabiya and the Kuwait Times next to Israeli-based The Jerusalem Post and Haaretz.  

“They were ordered to dismantle the settlements and they promised to do so, but now Netanyahu's government is so arrogant that it admitted openly that it won't dismantle them. In fact, on the contrary it will continue to build, so as to provide room for what it calls ‘natural growth’ ”. (Kuwait Times)

The Jerusalem Post’s headlines “Is Obama looking for a fight over ‘natural growth’?” and highlights this quote from a former U.S. security advisor:

“A ‘settlement freeze’ would not help Palestinians face today’s problems or prepare for tomorrow's challenges…”

Haaretz highlights Israel’s perspective on a settlement freeze…

“…it is impossible to stop natural growth such as the building of another kindergarten or when someone puts up a new home next to his parents’ house.”

What do you think is the future of Israeli settlements? Will they continue to grow? Freeze? Or even decline?