Defense Minister Ehud Barak will receive the United States Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the highest award that can be given by a U.S. Secretary of Defense. Barak will be given the award by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta when he visits the Pentagon on Thursday.

"He's been an important partner of the U.S. for a long time," a U.S. defense official said of Barak, who announced this week that he would not be running in the coming Knesset elections.