Matan Vilnai

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Matan Vilnai (מתן וילנאי, born May 20, 1944) is an Israeli politician and a former Major General in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Vilnai was born in Jerusalem in 1944 and was enlisted to the IDF in 1966. Among other units, Vilnai served in the Paratroopers Brigade and in Sayeret Matkal. He took part in "Operation Thunderball", later renamed Mivtsa Yonaton, the raid on Entebbe Airport to liberate Jewish and Israeli prisoners after their Air France plane was hi-jacked by members of the German anarchist "Revolutionäre Zellen"

In 1999 Vilnai joined Labour Party and became a Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) member. In 2005 he served as a minister in the Israeli government for a brief period. He resigned when Labour Party pulled its ministers out of the government in November 2005.

Vilnai lives in Mevaseret Zion. He is married and a father of three.