‘Satanic Verses’ Sells Out in Israel

Israelis clamoring to buy the Hebrew translation of Salman Rushdie’s novel “The Satanic Verses” snapped up all 4,000 copies of the first print run in three days, the publishers said Sunday.

“(The Ayatollah Ruhollah) Khomeini did a good public relations job for us,” said Rachel Marani, spokeswoman for Keter Publishing House.

The late Iranian leader sparked a crisis in relations with the West in February when he called on Muslims to kill the British author for writing the book, which he denounced as blasphemous to Islam.

Marani said another printing of the Hebrew version, which first went on sale Wednesday at the opening of a Jerusalem book fair, will be in the shops within days.