Michael Eitan was born in 1944 in Tel Aviv. He studied law at Tel Aviv University and served as an officer in the IDF. Active in public affairs, Eitan has served as chairman of the Herut Young Guard and as a member of the Herut Central Committee, as well as founder and director of the "Kochav Yair" settlement project and initiator of the "Shivat Kochavim" community settlement project.
He has been a Member of Knesset since 1984. From 1984-88 he served on the Knesset Committee on Education and Culture and the Knesset House Committee, and from 1988-92 on the Knesset Committee on Finance.
From 1992-96, he was Head of the Opposition Bloc in the Knesset and substitute head of the Likud Knesset faction.
As a Member of the current Knesset (1996-97) he served on the Knesset House Committee and the Knesset Committee on Economic Affairs, and as Chairman of the Knesset Sub-committee on Communication and Information. In the latter capacity he recently initiated the Knesset Internet site. Michael Eitan is Head of the Likud-Gesher-Tsomet Knesset faction and the coalition.
He served as Minister of Science from July 1997 until July 1998, and until July 1999, as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
He was re-elected to the 17th Knesset on the Likud list in 2006.
Michael Eitan is married and the father of three.