Matan Yaffe

Matan Yaffe was born in 1984 in Jerusalem

Matan Yaffe was born on October 5, 1984, in Jerusalem, to Yehiam (Yemi) and Bruria Yaffe. He is a grandson of Uri Yaffe. He grew up in Beit HaKerem, finished high school at the Harel school, and was active in the Scouts.

He joined the Armored Corps in 2003 and became an officer. Later he served in the Commando Brigade, where he holds the rank of major in the reserves.

In 2012 he ran the regional tourism site of Kushi Rimon. In 2013 he and Dr. Mohammad Alnabari founded Desert Stars to develop young Bedouin leaders, and he served as its CEO from 2012 to 2022. He also founded the Kumsitz Yachad initiative and helped revive Ahvat Torah, which works to integrate Haredim into the workforce.

In 2022 he began a Master's in Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School. He and fellow Israeli students sued Harvard over a hostile learning environment, and Harvard settled in January 2025. He returned to Israel in 2023.

After the October 7 war began, he served in the reserves and co-founded Tikun 2024 and the El HaDegel movement. He chairs the Shoresh Foundation and lives in Sarigim with his wife Aviv and their 5 sons.