Morocco’s King Mohammed VI Awarded US Legion of Merit by Trump for Israel Ties

"King Mohammed VI has advanced the enduring and strong partnership between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United States in all areas," the White House said in a statement. "His vision and personal courage, particularly his decision to re-establish contact with the State of Israel, has had a positive impact on the (political) landscape of the Middle East and North Africa, marking the beginning of a new era of security and prosperity" for the United States and Morocco, the same source added.

The Legion of Merit is a military medal awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services, which can only be awarded by the President, the White House recalls. This decoration was presented to Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui, Morocco’s ambassador to the United States, during a ceremony to honor the outgoing US President’s Ouissam El Mohammadi, the highest distinction of the kingdom awarded only to monarchs, heads of state, the royal family and foreign princes, on Friday, January 15, in the Oval Office.