President Shimon Peres plans to give President Obama a special award at a state dinner next month when Mr. Obama is expected to visit Israel. Mr. Obama would be the first sitting American president to receive the award, Israel’s Presidential Medal of Distinction. Previous recipients include Henry A. Kissinger and the conductor Zubin Mehta. “Barack Obama is a true friend of the State of Israel, and has been since the beginning of his public life,” Mr. Peres said in a statement.