There is no official contact between the top tiers of the Egyptian and Israeli governments, Defense Ministry security and diplomacy chief Amos Gilad said Friday, while emphasizing the vital importance of peace with Israel's southern neighbor.
"There is no talking going on between (Israel's) and Egypt's political echelons, and I don't think there will be," Gilad said at the IDC Herzliya's "Strategic Fridays" event, according to Army Radio.
"[Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi] will not speak with us," he added.
But despite the virtually non-existent relations, Gilad stressed that Israel must preserve the peace treaty with Egypt "at any cost."
"A terrible dictatorship sprouted from the desire for democracy (in Egypt)," Gilad continued, referring to what he described as the radicalization of the country by the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power.