Matan Vilnai was born in 1944 in Jerusalem. He served as a career officer in the IDF, attaining the rank of Major-General. He has a B.A. in History from Tel Aviv University. In 1984, he became a fellow at the Center for International Affairs, at Harvard University, Boston; in 1998 he became a fellow at Johns Hopkins University, Washington D.C. Matan Vilnai is a member of the Labor Party.
Matan Vilnai had a distinguished military career serving in the IDF for 35 years and reached the rank of Major-General. During the Yom Kippur War, Matan Vilnai was commander of a task force in Sinai. In 1976 he was deputy commander of the Entebbe rescue mission. From 1978-1982 he was Chief Paratroop and Infantry Officer. In 1989 he was appointed OC Southern Command. From 1994-1997 Major General Matan Vilnai was Deputy Chief of the General Staff. On retiring from the IDF and until elected to the Knesset he was involved in economic affairs.
Elected to the Knesset in 1999, Matan Vilnai was appointed Minister of Science, Culture and Sport in August 1999, and served as Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Israeli Arab Affairs. As a Member of Knesset, he has served on the Foreign Affairs & Defense, Science & Technology, Constitution, Law & Justice, Ethics, and Foreign Workers Committees.
Vilnai was reappointed Minister of Science, Culture and Sport in March 2001, serving until until October 2002, when he resigned from the government together with the other Labor ministers. Matan Vilnai was elected to the Knesset in January 2003.
In January 2005 he was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and in August 2005 Acting Minister of Science and Technology, and in November 2005, Minister of Science and Technology. He resigned his post at the end of November with the resignation of Labor from the government.
Vilnai served as Deputy Minister of Defense from July 2007 until March 2009. In April 2009 he was reappointed Deputy Minister of Defense in the Netanyahu government. In January 2011 he was appointed Minister for Home Front Defense.
Vilnai resigned from the Knesset in February 2012 with his appointment as Israel Ambassador to China. He continued to serve as Minister for Home Front Defense until his departure for China in August 2012.
He is married and the father of three.