Before the Six-day War (1967)
Israel made an application to the US in 1955 to purchase 60 M47 tanks and after the US refused, Israel applied again in 1958, this time to purchase 100 M47 tanks but the answer was the same. 
In the early 1960's, Israel signed a deal with West Germany, for the purchasing of 150 M48A2. However, due to strong Arab nations opposition, out of the 150 tanks planned to be delivered, only 40 did Israel finally receive. Since West Germany didn't fully fulfill its obligations, the US had decided to supply the remaining 110 M48A2 tanks and to add another 100 M48 tanks. In 1965, Israel received 90 M48 tanks from the US and another 120 M48 tanks in 1966. At this time Israel had 250 M48 tanks, 150 of them M48A1 and 100 of them M48A2, all of these armed with a 90mm main gun. 
Israel upgraded those tanks to M48A3's by replacing their engines and transmissions with newer models. These tanks were also fitted with a new 105mm L7 gun (same as on the Centurion MBT) and with the Israeli Urdan cupola. (All Israeli M48 tanks were upgraded to M48A3 by the beginning of Yom Kippur War). 

During the Six-day War (1967)
Only 120 M48 tanks out of a total of 250 M48 were in combat readiness by the beginning of the war, and took part of it, mostly in the Sinai front against the Egyptian army. During the war Israel captured about 100 M48 and M48A1 from Jordan, when Jordan had only 170 M48 tanks. (Israel decided not to take M47 tanks left by the Jordanian army, since they were already obsolete at that time). 

During the War of Attrition (1968-1971)
Israeli M48 tanks participated in the War of Attrition (1968-1971), mostly in the Sinai Peninsula and on the Suez Canal, in fighting against Egyptian forces. 

After the War of Attrition (1968-1971)
Israel received additional 150 M60A1 tanks from the US in 1971.
By 1973, about 800 modernized M48 were in service, and non-flammable hydraulic fluid was first introduced.

During the Yom Kippur War (1973)
When the Yom Kippur War (1973) broke out, Israel had a total of 540 M48A3 (with 105mm gun) and M60A1 tanks. After the war Israel had only about 200 M48A3 and M60A1 tanks, after a large number of Israeli tanks were destroyed or terminally hit during the war, mostly in the Sinai front in fighting against the Egyptian army. 

After the Yom Kippur War (1973)
After the Yom Kippur War (1973), the United States transferred a large number of M48, M60 and M60A1 tanks to Israel in order to replace the large number of tanks that had been lost in combat. 
During the late 1970's Israel received 150 M48A5 tanks from US, and during the years 1980 to 1985 Israel received another 300 M60A3 tanks from the US. 
M60 tanks became the mainstay of the IDF's Armor Corps. They were upgraded with the new reactive armor cells, improved fire control systems, etc. 

These tanks participated in The War in Lebanon (1982).