Politicsמתניה כהן

Mattanya Cohen

Mattanya Cohen is an Israeli diplomat who has served as Israel's ambassador to Panama since 2025 and earlier as ambassador to Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize.

born 1965Ambassador to Guatemala and HondurasEmbassy moves to JerusalemRecognition of José CastellanosAmbassador to Panama

Occupation: diplomat

Mattanya Cohen was born in 1965 in Jerusalem

Mattanya Cohen was born in Jerusalem in 1965 and grew up in the Bet HaKerem neighborhood. He attended Boyer High School. He is married to Shira and has 2 sons.

He served in the IDF from 1983 to 1987. He then studied international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and earned a B.A. In 1991 he entered the Foreign Ministry cadet course.

He was deputy chief of mission in Peru and in Cyprus, then worked on economic ties with Arab countries and served as consul in Miami. There he set up a Hispanic department in the consulate, the first in the United States. As ambassador to El Salvador from 2007 to 2011, he led efforts to recognize José Castellanos as Righteous Among the Nations.

From 2011 he headed the training department of Mashav. As ambassador to Guatemala and Honduras from 2017 to 2022, he worked to persuade both governments to move their embassies to Jerusalem. He later headed the Latin America and Caribbean division and in 2025 became ambassador to Panama.