Matan Vilnai: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox member of the Knesset

|image= Matan Vilnai.jpg

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1944|5|20|df=y}}

|birth_place = [[Jerusalem]], [[Mandatory Palestine]]

|party2 = [[Israeli Labor Party|Labor Party]]

|partyyears2 = 2003–2011

|minister1 = [[Science, Culture and Sport Minister of Israel|Minister of Science, Culture & Sport]]

|ministeryears1 = 1999–2002

'''Matan Vilnai''' ({{lang-he-n|מַתָּן וִילְנַּאִי}}; born 20 May 1944) is an Israeli politician and a former [[Major General]] in the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF). A former [[Knesset]] member and government minister, he was appointed ambassador to China in 2012.

Vilnai was born in [[Jerusalem]] in 1944. His father was Prof. [[Zev Vilnay]], a pioneer in the sphere of Israeli geography and Land of Israel studies, from whom he inherited a love of nature and hiking.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jnf.org/site/PageServer?JServSessionIdr006=44e1hl9ky2.app20a&pagename=pr_Preserve|title=Thousands Support JNF-KKL's Battle to Preserve Open Spaces in Jerusalem|publisher=[[Jewish National Fund]]|accessdate=2 September 2007}} {{Dead link|date=January 2015}}</ref> Matan graduated from the [[Hebrew Reali School]] in 1962 and was drafted into the [[Israel Defense Forces]], serving in the [[Paratroopers Brigade]] and the elite reconnaissance unit [[Sayeret Matkal]]. He was deputy commander [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/6/Matan%20Vilnai] of the assault force in Operation Thunderbolt, also known as the [[Entebbe Raid]], to free Jewish and Israeli passengers taken hostage by Palestinian and German terrorists after their Air France plane was hijacked to [[Entebbe]], Uganda. Vilnai led the assault team into the airport building, while another team secured the outside. As a major general, Vilnai was the head of the [[Manpower Directorate]], as well as the Deputy Chief of Staff.

In the run up to the [[Israeli legislative election, 1999|1999 elections]] Vilnai joined the [[Israeli Labor Party|Labor Party]] (which was running as part of the [[One Israel]] alliance), hoping to win a place on its Knesset list. He succeeded, and was voted in to the Knesset. [[Ehud Barak]] appointed him [[Science, Culture and Sport Minister of Israel|Minister of Science, Culture and Sport]]. Vilnai gave up his Knesset seat six months after the election (he was replaced by [[Colette Avital]]), but remained a minister. After [[Ariel Sharon]] beat Barak in the [[Israeli prime ministerial election, 2001|2001 election for Prime Minister]], Vilnai was reappointed to his post in the new government.

In the run-up to the [[Israeli legislative election, 2006|2006 elections]], Vilnai competed in the election for Labor Party leader alongside [[Shimon Peres]] and [[Binyamin Ben-Eliezer]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/labor-hopefuls-court-the-arab-vote-1.161218|last1=Stern|first1=Yoav|last2=Mualem|first2=Mazal|title=Labor hopefuls court the Arab vote|work=Haaretz|date=15 June 2005|accessdate=18 May 2007|archivedate=22 May 2011|deadurl=no|archiveurl=//web.archive.org/web/20110522122505/http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/labor-hopefuls-court-the-arab-vote-1.161218}}</ref> but was beaten by [[Amir Peretz]]. However, he did retain his Knesset seat in the elections, placing 11th on Labor's list.

Vilnai won sixth place on the Labor list for the [[Israeli legislative election, 2009|2009 elections]], and retained his seat in the subsequent election. In 2011 he was one of the five members to leave the Labor Party to establish [[Independence (Israeli political party)|Independence]], and was appointed to the newly created post of Minister for the Home Front,<ref>{{cite news|accessdate=19 January 2011|url= http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=204331|title=PM announces creation of Homeland Security Ministry|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=19 January 2011|archivedate=20 January 2011|deadurl=no |archiveurl=//web.archive.org/web/20110120045709/http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=204331}}</ref> having originally been made [[Minorities Minister of Israel|Minister of Minorities]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/barak-s-atzmaut-faction-receives-four-portfolios-in-coalition-government-1.337714|title=Barak's Atzmaut faction receives four portfolios in coalition government|last1=Lis|first1=Jonathan|last2=Mualem|first2=Mazal|work=Haaretz|date=18 January 2011|accessdate=19 January 2011|archivedate=19 January 2011|deadurl=no |archiveurl=//web.archive.org/web/20110119211523/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/barak-s-atzmaut-faction-receives-four-portfolios-in-coalition-government-1.337714}}</ref> In February 2012 Vilnai was appointed Israel's ambassador to China, a move said to be related to Israeli anxiety over Iran's nuclear program.<ref>{{cite news|title=Israel's home front minister appointed China envoy|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jCzs691LZ6cvEZaT90_pFJbs699w?docId=CNG.52c525f06fcbf4db7e3f0a8c268395da.af1|accessdate=20 February 2012|agency=[[Agence France-Presse|AFP]]|date=12 February 2012|location=Jerusalem|publisher=[[Google News]]|archiveurl=//web.archive.org/web/20140218222834/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jCzs691LZ6cvEZaT90_pFJbs699w?docId=CNG.52c525f06fcbf4db7e3f0a8c268395da.af1|archivedate=18 February 2014}}</ref> His Knesset seat was taken by [[Shachiv Shnaan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Replacements Among Knesset Members|publisher= Knesset website|url=https://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/MKIndex_Current_eng.asp?view=5|archiveurl=//web.archive.org/web/20120413070223/https://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/MKIndex_Current_eng.asp?view=5|archivedate=13 April 2012|deadurl=no|accessdate=22 February 2012}}</ref>

==References==

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