After a resounding victory in the Israeli election, Benjamin Netanyahu is now free to continue forging the destiny of the Jewish people. A look at Mr. Netanyahu’s early political views offers revealing insights into his evolution from a fence-straddling moderate to the guardian of the right who promises to annex parts of the West Bank.

In January 1997, during his first term as prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu agreed to withdraw from 80% of Hebron, smothering the city’s tiny Jewish enclave. The following year, with President Clinton...