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"Bardossy was one of the darkest figures of Hungary's history in World War II, whose decisions led to the death of hundreds of thousands of our brethren," the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities said in a statement.

The federation also said it is considering filing international protests.

Lorant Hegedus, MIEP's deputy chairman, accused local Jewish leaders of using the threat of international pressure against Hungary's chief prosecutor, who has been asked to review the case.

Efraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Jerusalem office, wrote a letter to the Hungarian government, calling on it to reject the demand for the posthumous rehabilitation of Bardossy.

"We join the Hungarian Jewish community in protesting this step and hope that the government will have the good sense to reject this demand," Zuroff wrote.

The Hungarian Prosecutor's Office will review the case. Bardossy served as Hungarian prime minister from 1941 to 1942. Some 600,000 Hungarian Jews died in the Holocaust.