President Barack Obama called Peres "the essence of Israel itself," noting he had fought for Israel's independence, worked its land and served Israel in virtually every government position, including three stints as prime minister. Peres, who served in the largely ceremonial role of president from 2007 to 2014, represented a moderate face of Israel after the more hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in 2009. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who also worked as a Mideast peace envoy, said Peres' "commitment to peace and his belief that it was in the interests of the country he adored marked him out as a visionary whose vision was never dimmed or displaced."