Matan Kahana (Hebrew: מתן כהנא‎; born 29 July 1972)[1] is an Israeli politician who served as Minister of Religious Services and as a member of Knesset for New Right and Yamina.

He was an officer in the IDF with the rank of colonel, who served as a combat soldier in Sayeret Matkal, and as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force.

[1] When he was three months old, he moved with his family to New York, USA, following his father's electrical engineering and business administration studies.

Kahana attended elementary school at Kibbutz Hafetz Haim (grades 1-8), and then at the Netiv Meir Yeshiva.

[7][3] Upon completion of his position as commander of the Valley Squadron, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and appointed the head of the division at the Air Force headquarters.

The move was meant to “help strengthen the coalition.”[11][12] Following his resignation, Kahana was quickly made the Deputy Religious Services Minister while the coalition government attempted to have him appointed back to his former post through a vote in the Knesset.